Older And Wiser
by DisasterInDaisyDukes
Summary: Bella moved away from Forks after Edward left. She was raped and got pregnant. Fifteen years later she's back in Washington with her daughter. There's a better introduction inside I suck at summaries.
1. Introduction

OK, I my idea for this on the bus on the way home.

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Basically, Bella moved to Florida with Renee when she came to get her after her week if being comatose when Edward left her and changed her surname to Dwyer, Renee's married name. She was raped after being there for about a month, got pregnant and had a baby, who she named Alice. Bella went to university and Renee would care for the baby while she was in her classes. Bella moved to California with Alice when she was 8 but she would talk to Renee every day. When Phil died when Alice was 15 and Renee followed 2 months later. Bella and Alice moved to a town near Seattle and Forks (not Forks though – you'll see why later) to be closer to Charlie. 

Meanwhile, Jacob Black has become a werewolf, because there is a different coven of vampires living in the Cullen's Forks house. Emmett had dragged Edward out of the slum where he was hiding after he left Bella.

The story starts on a sunny September day, Bella's 34th birthday, when Alice is 16.

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All "Twilight" characters and plotlines are © to Stephenie Meyer 


	2. September 13th  Alice's POV

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Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything – I own nothing.

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**Alice's POV**

I opened my eyes to see sun filtering through the thin cotton curtains that hung at my window. After living 8 years of my life in California, I craved the sun, especially after a damp summer in Forks with my grandpa.

Remembering what day it was, I hurried downstairs where my mom was making breakfast, grabbing a parcel wrapped in pink tissue paper on the way.

"Happy birthday Mom!" I cried and threw my arms around her tiny waist.

"Oof! Alice! Watch my coffee cup!" She turned around and hugged me back "Thanks, hun"

"Sorry" I handed her my present – she looked worried

"What happened to no presents?" My mom isn't like other moms. She doesn't like birthday presents, she never listens to music and she looks very, very young. When people find out she's in her thirties, they're shocked. She looks about 20, max, and is always being asked for ID whenever she buys the occasional bottle of wine. People always think we're sisters. It means because she's so petite I can borrow her clothes. Not that she ahs money; she hates shopping, so unless I force her to go, she would be wearing the same clothes over and over again.

"I couldn't resist" I grin.

"Oh, Alice, it's beautiful – I love it"

"I'll put it in for you" I take the hair clasp out of her hand and twist her long hair up for her, holding it there with a grip. "There you go"

"I love it, and if I don't go now, I'll be late for work. Are you OK getting to school on your own – it's a big day – your first day at a new school – are you sure you don't want me to drive you?"

"No Mom, I know where it is and I anyway, I have to get ready for tonight and you can't be here. Also you have that big presentation to prepare for"

"Tonight?"

"Your birthday party! Grandpa's coming over and you've invited a couple of people from work. Don't tell me you forgot"

"No, of course not. I just don't like fusses being made of my birthday. The last time someone threw me a big party-"

"Something bad happened. I know! I wish you would tell me what!" I had a private feeling it was something to do with the love of Mum's life, who left when she was 17. That was what Grandma told me anyway, but she wouldn't say anymore.

"Sorry, baby. I'll see you tonight" With a brief hug and a kiss on my cheek, she was gone.

I waited until her car had backed out of the driveway before heading up for my shower. I dressed quickly, in a basic denim mini skirt, black lo-rise converse and a black polo shirt. I grabbed my bag, my cell phone and my i-pod and an apple for my breakfast before I ran out my car.

I love my car. Grandpa gave it to me when I got my learners permit. He knows a guy who lives on the reservation who's a mechanic and he had it done cheap. It's a convertible, which is a little impractical for Washington, but, for days like today it's perfect. I out my sunglasses on and plugged my i-pod in and scrolled through the artists until I found a very old Rihanna album. Usually, I don't like R&B but it gets rid of my nerves, especially today. I took advantage of the unexpected sunshine and drove to school with the roof down.

It took me 15 minutes to reach the school, I was early and the loud music coming from my stereo attracted looks as I drove into the parking lot. I parked, turned off my music and put the roof - I wasn't going to risk my car getting wet if it suddenly started to pour with rain later. Right by the parking lot was a building marked office and, with lack of anywhere else to go, I went in.

The woman in there was on the phone "Thank you, Mrs Cullen. Have a nice time." She hung up the phone and turned to me "Hello, dear, how can I help?"

"I'm new, my name's Alice Dwyer"

"Yes, I have a map and timetable here for you. Your first lesson is English; that's room 1, just leave here, go left and it's the first door on the left once you go into the main building" She handed me a slip "Get all your teachers to sign this and bring it back at the end of the day"

I thanked her, and headed for room 1. I was early but the teacher was already there, so I handed him my slip and he sent me to sit next to a blonde boy at the back of the class.

"Hi" he said "I'm Matt Gwyn"

"Hi. I'm Alice Dwyer"

"You were the one playing that old R&B song in the parking lot this morning – weren't you?"

"Yup" I wasn't sure what this guy wanted – I was trying to look at the reading list the teacher had given me.

"So, where are you from? You don't look like you're from here" I definitely didn't look like the kids in the class – I wasn't pale with long straight hair – I had the remnants of my tan from California and brown curls that hung almost to my shoulders.

"No, I'm from California"

"I went there on holiday once-" At that moment, the teacher called for silence and Matt was silenced.

We had three classes together – English and French in the morning and Chemistry in the afternoon. At least I didn't have PE – I was almost a clumsy as my mom.

After English and French with Matt, I was saved by Algebra. I was seated at the front; next to a girl called Hattie was really sweet and invited me to join her friends at lunch. Hattie and I got on well, and her friends were really nice – Matt was one of them and he had a friend called Tom, who was cute and quite funny. Tom, Hattie and Matt's names were the only ones whose name I could remember, the others seemed to blur into one pale, straight haired kid.

Matt walked with me to Chemistry where I was sent to an empty table at the back. I wasn't very good at Chemistry and I soon got bored of ionic bonding and covalent bonding so I began to doodle on my book until the teachercalled on me for an answer and I when I got three wrong in a row, I was told to come and see her at the end of the lesson.

"So…"she said "you seem to be struggling"

"I'm not very good at Chemistry" No point lying – she'd find out soon enough anyway. I kept me book hugged to my chest where she wouldn't see the doodles.

"I'm going to arrange for another student to teach you. The students who usually sit at your desk are good students and one of them will help you. Off you go."

I hate being tutored. I was tutored for chemistry last year and I'm no good at it. I doubt these kids will be smart enough to teach me. I headed for Geography, where we were studying tectonics, something I had already studied and the teacher picked up on this, and left me to fill in a worksheet myself. At least I was ahead in one subject.

All in all it wasn't a bad first day, apart from the tutoring, I thought as I headed back to my car. The weather had held so I rolled the roof down, plugged my i-pod in, put my sunnies back on and sung along with Rihanna all the way home.

Mum wasn't in when I got home, but I made a start on dinner. Because it was her birthday, I was cooking. Halfway through the pasta sauce, the doorbell rang. I headed for the door.

"Grandpa!" I flung my arms round his neck

"Alice!" He hugged me back "How are you doing? Isn't this weather nice? They say it's going to last the rest of the week" I was surprised; Grandpa wasn't usually this talkative.

"I'm good, thanks and I love the weather – I'm channelling California" I did a spin to show off my outift.

He laughed and headed past me. I shut the door and followed him into the kitchen where I got back to open a can of tomatoes.

"You still coming this weekend?"

"Mom's still got her business trip, so I presume so"

"You can stay in your mom's old room"

"Cool" We sat in comfortable silence, me cooking and him reading the paper until six, when my mom got home with a couple of her friends from work. One of them had bought a cake, which I put on the side to have as well as the raspberry Pavlova I had made.

The evening was great; mum seemed to have fun but once everyone had left she sighed and within about 10 minutes had fallen asleep on the sofa. Parties always wore her out. I managed to wake her up enough so she could sleep in her bed but she fell asleep fully clothed on top of the duvet.

I was woken up by the sound of Mom screaming. Screams of terror and sadness. I knew what was happening. I ran across the hall to her room.

"Mom!" I shook her "Mom! Wake up!"

She opened her eyes and looked around, dazed "Mom, you were having that nightmare again"

"Oh. Oh, Alice, I'm so sorry I woke you. Go back to bed"

"You sure you're OK?"

"Of course .Stop fussing and head back to bed". I gave her a hug and a kiss, mumbled "Happy birthday Mom" and headed back to my bed where I lay awake, listening to my mom sob, until eventually I fell asleep.

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What did you think? Tell me so I know what to do with the next chapter 


	3. September 13th  Edward's POV

I got reviews! I am loving writing this so I am gonna write as fast as possible. I would have put this up sooner but I had a crap connection. Alice's surname is Dwyer because when Bella moved to Florida she changed it. I'll explain why it needed to be changed later. I'm not good at writing from a guy's (especially Edward's) POV - that's why this chapter is so short. Any chapter in Jacob's or Charlie's POV will be the same. I love writing from Alice's though.

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Edward's POV

I sat on my couch, curled up in a ball, staring listlessly into space, wishing I could sleep. Because if I could sleep, I could dream. And if I could dream, I could dream of Bella.

When I left her, it was the worst thing I have ever done in my life. I didn't want to leave her, but I was being selfish, keeping her for myself. She was too good, too perfect, to be with me. Without me, she could forget me, grow up, fall in love, get married, have children and carry on with her life. As long as she was happy, I would be happy.

After leaving her, I left my family, I didn't stay with them, I tracked Victoria, but losing her in South America. I went into the tiny attic of a house and stayed there for six months, until, with Jasper and Alice's help, he found me and brought me back. I visited Charlie's house just the once and found her room empty. She had gone back to live with Renee. She was going to leave and get over me. I was pleased for her. She could have everything that would be good for her.

Alice wandered past the room, "No school for the rest of the week – beautiful hunting weather, Edward – wanna come?"

When she got no answer she tried again "Edward, you're hungry, you're eyes are black"

"No Alice, I don't" I said "and take Jasper with you, he keeps messing with my emotions and I want them"

"C'mon, Jazz" She said to him and to me she said "You chose this Edward. You chose to leave her"

They left. I decided I would visit Charlie Swan's house one last time, this time on the anniversary of Emmett dragging me from the slum.

I closed my eyes and brought up all my memories of Bella, watching them like a film – the curve of her lips, her deep warm eyes, and her blush, that red warm blush. If I met her tomorrow, I would change her into a vampire, if she still wanted me. It was selfish, but if she still wanted me, then I was here for her.

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I told you it was short!

The next one is gonna be really long though :)


	4. September 18th Alice's POV

Stephenie Meyer owns everything - I own nothing.

Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! I can't stop writing

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Alice's POV 

As I drove along the freeway, music blaring, sunnies on, I reflected on the past week. Despite starting a new school, I had made some friends and they had invited me to the beach next weekend. My chemistry tutor had gone on a hiking trip, according to Hattie, who was not the type to gossip, which was nice, after California, which left me muddling along at the back, with a desk to myself.

As I entered Forks, I pulled out my i-pod and turned on the radio. This glorious weather wasn't going to last. It would be raining by tomorrow morning so I turned plugged by i-pod in again, and turned on "California" by Phantom Planet and sang along, channelling my favourite state, acquiring a couple of weird looks as I pulled off the freeway and headed into Forks.

I knew how to get to Grandpa's house, although I hadn't been to Forks much. Mom didn't like to come up here and Grandpa would always come down to visit us in California or Florida. I think it is something to do with that mysterious boyfriend. But, ever since Grandma died, we have come up here more often, probably because Mom felt bad about moving away from Dad, eventually moving up here.

Mom's so lucky – she's got a business trip in California this weekend and she wouldn't take me with her – it was too expensive and I have too much homework. I'm jealous - I could do with some beach and sun and Venice Beach. When I got to Grandpa's house, he was out fishing with Billy Black from the reservation. I was expecting this and grabbed the key from under the eave by the door and headed upstairs to Mom's old room. I opened the door and threw my heavy bag full of textbooks across the floor. There was the sound of splintering wood as my bag crashed through the floorboards and a huge cloud of dust came up.

"Oh crap!"

Grandpa had warned me about the floorboards – apparently they had wood worm or something. I should have been more careful. I went over, watching out for anymore rotten floorboards and pulled my bag out from the hole. The hole got bigger as I snagged my bag on every splinter and heaved it over the edge. I could see the kitchen below. As I pulled my bag out, something in the hole caught my eye. I reached my hand in and pulled it out. As I brushed the dust off whatever it was, it became clear it was a bundle of photos, a letter, what looked like some planes tickets and a CD. I leant back against the bed, crossed my legs and looked at the bundle. One letter appeared to be to Grandma from Mom and there also seemed to be a note reading "Be safe". I pulled the pictures out from behind the letter. This had to be the mysterious boyfriend. He was flawless, absolutely gorgeous with bronze coloured hair and topaz coloured eyes. There was him with Mom and him with Gandpa and him by himself. My Mom hadn't changed much since 18. I knew that he must be the reason for Mom's fear of relationships and men in general and I resolved to ask Grandpa who he was. I immediately hated him for hurting her so badly; because I knew he had to be one causing her the nightmares. Mom's old CD player was still on her bedside table so I heaved myself up, grabbed the CD, popped the lid of the player, shut it and hit play.

The most beautiful lullaby filled the room, filled with melodic notes. I immediately longed to have it as driving music. I don't know how long I stood there, listening to the music. Only Grandpa coming in and banging the door, yelling "Alice, hun, you up there?" as he headed through to the freezer with his catch for the day.

I grabbed the photos and headed downstairs.

"Hey, hun. I ordered pizza is that OK?"

"Yeah, sure"

"Are you OK you sound kinda….why's there a hole in the ceiling?"

"I threw my bag on the floor and it almost fell through. Is that the woodworm you were talking about? I'm really sorry; i didn't mean to"

"Yeh it was. Don't worry about it, it's about time I got it sorted out anyway. What have you got there? Are they the pictures from your Mom's party? I wanna see them"

"No – I found them in the hole. Who is that with you and Mom? Is this the boyfriend who hurt her so badly?"

I handed him the pictures and he stood and gazed at each one for a long time before sighing and sitting down at one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

"Alice. Sit down. I think it's time I told you about Edward Cullen" The name sounded familiar but I couldn't place it. "These pictures were taken just after Bella's; I mean, your Mom's 18th birthday. The Cullen family moved into town a little while before your Mom moved in with me. Dr. Cullen and his wife had adopted five teenagers; twins and three siblings. I thought we were going have trouble with them, five teenagers with different backgrounds but nothing. No trouble or anything, apart from some rumours about speeding; which I never had any evidence of.

"The strange thing though was that this whole family was beautiful. Some of the nurses had trouble concentrating on their work when Carlisle, that's Edward's father, was around. I never saw his other siblings, apart from Alice, who I think you are named after. She was a lovely girl, and so good to Bella.

"I was shocked when I found out your Mum and Edward where dating, she hadn't seemed interested in town, he seemed too old for her, even though they were in the same year but then again Bella had always been much more mature than anyone else her age. She fell for him too hard, too fast. But after going out with his family one night, to play baseball of all things, which I was unsure about, she came back in tears, slamming the door in his face and leaving for Phoenix, saying exactly what her mother said when she left me. I begged for her to stay but she wouldn't, even after I told her that Renee would probably be going home soon anyway."

"I got a call from Carlisle a few days later, saying Bella had been involved in an accident when going to visit him, Edward and Alice at a hotel, where they had been staying. They had gone down in an attempt to convince Bella to return to Forks. She could so easily have died"

I didn't realise how much Charlie kept close to his chest, how much he didn't say. I felt bad; I knew how hard it would be for him to tell me what happened next.

"Bella spent the whole summer with Edward, Alice or both. But on her 18th birthday, something changed. She came home from her party at the Cullen's house slightly stressed it seemed and for the next few days she didn't seem quite right. One evening, I got home to find a note saying she had gone for a brief walk with Edward. I called for her but she wasn't in the house. I ran to the trail, calling for her…..and Edward"

He was getting angry now – he didn't like this Edward guy any more than I did.

"I ran back to the house and called Billy – you'll meet him tomorrow – we're going to his place for dinner. He's in a wheelchair but he knows everyone in La Push and he sent a search party up and I got guys from the station down. We were hunting for hours. I was beginning to think he might've hurt her or something -something" He hesiated "-something worse. I was panicking. Then someone called "I've got her". It was Sam Uley, a guy from the reservation. He carried her in his arms – for a second I thought she was dead. I have never been more grateful.

"I got her into the house and it turned out Edward had left her at the edge of the forest, in sight of the house, but she had tried to follow him. It was only later that I discovered that the whole family had moved to L.A. because Carlisle had got a job at the hospital there. They probably threw a lot of money at him.

"Bella was comatose. She wouldn't eat or drink and the doctor was throwing around words like "catatonic". Eventually I gave up and called your Grandma. She blamed me, saying it was my fault. Bella didn't come back here for years. I think she only came back out of guilt but I'm glad she did. I came down to see you so much because I felt like I missed out on Bella's childhood and I didn't want to miss out on yours too"

We sat in silence for a while. I couldn't believe Mom had never told me any of this. It seemed like something she should have warned me about – handsome boys who break hearts. I didn't date in California, but I might date here. I thought of Tom and his cute face. And then I thought of Mom, having to leave her home because a boy broke her heart. And then getting raped and getting lumbered with me. Grandma said I was the one who made her snap out of it; the sudden realisation that she had to care for someone besides herself. Maybe that was why we moved to L.A. - so she could find the love of her life.

"Are you OK Alice?"

I hadn't realised that tears were silently making their way down my cheeks.

"I'm fine. I just hadn't realised how bad he hurt her. If he hadn't left, do you think I would be alive?" I knew the answer before he even opened his mouth.

"No" he reluctantly admitted "Your Mom would probably have married Edward and they would have had their own children"

We sat in silence for a few minutes more when the door bell pulled us out of our reverie.

"I'll get it" I needed to get out of the kitchen

"That'll be twelve……hey Alice, you'k?" Tom stood in the doorway, holding a couple of pizza boxes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How much do I owe you?"

"Twelve fifty. You sure you're OK?"

"Never felt better. Just let me get some money" I shut the door on Tom – I didn't want him to see me like this – especially with ruined make up and in a very depressed frame of mind. I walked back to the kitchen, where Grandpa was rummaging in his leather jacket. He handed me his wallet "Thanks" I opened the door again and handed him the twenty, grabbing the boxes and handed him a twenty and shut the door with a "keep the change" as a way of goodbye. I hadn't realised Tom lived so far away from school, but then I remembered Hattie mentioning something about his parents having shared custody.

I forced a couple of slices down, before heading up to Mom's old room, changing into my pyjamas, turning on the CD and falling asleep, haunted by dreams of beautiful faced boys, just that bit out of reach.

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I think I should just say at this point that the werewolves killed Victoria when she came hunting for Bella after she had left.

Keep reviewing!

xxxx


	5. September 18th Edward's POV

UPDATE! yay! I'm loving writing this story, although I am struggling to write from Edward's POV because he's pretty complex. Also, to make it easier for me, I have decided Edward cannot read people's dreams. This one isn't so good but I wanted to get it out there because the next chapter will be fab (we're back to Alice) and long.

Thanks for all the lovely reviews!

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As I ran into Forks, I realised how much I missed this insignificant little town. Clouds scudded across the full moon – it would rain soon. The forest was silent as I moved across the lawn of Charlie Swan's house and I could hear a lullaby, **MY** lullaby, I realised – the one she had inspired me to compose, coming through an open window. Someone was in there playing it – perhaps it was her, although I don't know how she could have found it hidden under the floorboards. All I had wanted do was sit in the rocking chair in her room, remembering her, until dawn and then leave. I decided that if she were in there awake I would leave and never come back and if she was asleep I would watch her sleep, just like before. She hadn't been back in at least 15 years - she would have no reason to do so now.

The wind changed suddenly and I could smell a strange new scent, it was like nothing I had ever smelt before; not in any way close to Bella's in strength for me but at the same time compelling. It was jasmine and rose and freesia and something else all rolled into one and it drifted from the open window of Bella's room. I leapt up silently and climbed in. There was someone else, for this person wasn't Bella, asleep in Bella's bed! The room smelt like Bella hadn't been there for a long time. All I could see was her hair – it was definitely a girl – I could tell by the clothes that littered the room and the smell. She turned onto her side to face me and if she suddenly opened her eyes she would be looking right at me. She was the image of Bella – the same nose, eyes, lips and face shape but less rounded – this girl was much slimmer – she had to be her daughter. She must had to be about fifteen or sixteen; people look younger when they sleep, or that was what I thought; having spent so much time around Bella while she slept. At the same time I felt pleasure, that Bella had fallen in love and had a child and jealousy – that someone had given Bella what I couldn't. Happiness.

I could see where this girl had found the CD, there was a huge hole in the floor and I knew that if I looked through the hole I would be able to see the kitchen below. The room smelt slightly of woodworm, which explained the hole, but ont the size of it. I was about to leave when I heard her speak. Her eyes were closed and she was sleeping; I could hear her quiet breathing and the steady rhythm of her heart.

"Edward Cullen" she said. I was shocked. Horrified, even. How did she know me name? She definatley wasn't awake and the similarity to Bella's voice and the first time I watched her sleep was amazing. "Edward Cullen" she said again. Perhaps Bella had told her daughter about me. Why she had any reason to I didn't know. The last time we had seen each other was when I had told Bella I didn't love her.

Suddenly something clicked into place. If this girl were fifteen or sixteen, then Bella would have had her when she was still eighteen. It hurt when I realised that Bella had moved on fast, even though that was what I had wanted for her.

"Edward Cullen" Bella's mysterious child said my name for a third time "I hate you"

The venom in her voice, even in her sleep made me realise that Bella HAD moved on, and told her daughter about me, perhaps in a warning to her about men and the despicable and unforgivable things they could do.

I sighed, crossed to the window, glanced back once and jumped out of the window and ran back home.

I could hear Alice's thoughts a mile away "I wonder what if he worked it out. I wonder if he saw her. He still loves her. Her daughter is very pretty"

I ran back faster, like the time when I had to get Bella away from James, and into the sitting room without stopping, breaking the door knob as I entered. Alice sat on the couch, face blanking, waiting for the reaction she knew was coming, for I had heard it in her thoughts not a minute before, Esme beside her. "Watch the door, Edward" she scolded.

"Sorry Esme" I felt instant guilt, even if it was just a door knob. Esme had spent a lot of time restoring this house. I rounded on Alice "You knew!" I yelled "You knew and you never told me!" How she had managed not to think about Bella when I was around – not that I had been around much - I had only rejoined my family a year ago, preferring to wander on my own, dropping in every few months.

"I didn't think you'd want to know, Edward" she said, looking away

"Of course I'd want to know! How did you find out anyway?"

"I had a vision of her decision to name the baby, and as it involved me; I saw it" She smiled at the memory. I saw it too. Bella in hosptial, holding the child, love and adoration lighting up her whole face.

"How did it involve you?" I demanded

"The baby's named after me, silly" she said, as though it was obvious and that she was what thinking about, instead of translating "The Ancient Mariner" into Yiddish. "A competition with Jasper" she added, seeing my look of confusion about the contrast between her words and her thoughts.

I wandered upstairs without another word, ignoring Esme, whose thoughts were begging for me to hunt with my family for once, instead of waiting until I was hungry, but I went into my room and curled up in a ball on my couch, waiting for the pain of realisation that I had really lost Bella, that she had moved on. I thought of Bella and her daughter, Alice, who I had never met but hated me with so much passion, even while she slept. And when the pain hit, like a tsunami, I just stayed there, letting the pain pull me under.

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I told you it's not so good. Review anyway please!

The next chapter is Alice and Charlie visiting Billy and Jacob.

I can't wait to start writing but the next update might take awile - I have geogrpahy coursework galore but it's half term next week so there will be lots of updates then.

xxxx


	6. September 19th  Alice's POV

So, another update.

Thanks to my wonderful Beta.

I didn't enjoy writing this one, I found it too hard but the next chapter, will be harder because it is from Jacob's POV. After that, it'll be fun again.

Review please!

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Alice's POV

I wasn't sure what time it was when I woke up. Rain poured down from the sky. The window, that I had left open the night before was open, was still open and the rain was pouring through, soaking my bag which sat under the frame.

"Aw, crap!" I jumped out of bed and ran across to the window and forced the frame shut. I turned my attention to the bag - everything was soaked - My jeans, my fleece – even my underwear.

My stomach rumbled and I headed downstairs for breakfast, stomping my feet as I went. I grabbed a bowl out of the cupboard, shoved some cereal on top, added some milk and snatched a spoon from the draw. In my mood about lack of clothing, I was slamming draws and doors.

"Everything OK, hun?" My Grandpa was leaning against the door frame.

"I'm sorry! Did I wake you?"

"No, hun, I've been up since eight" He eyed the bowl of cereal in my hand with a smile on his face.

"Sorry. I'm in a bit of a bad mood. I left my bag under the open window and it got soaked so all my clothes are wet…..What's so funny?"

"It's a bit late for breakfast – it's about four thirty"

"Oh my god! I never sleep in! My clothes'll never be dry in time now!"

"Don't worry, Alice. When your Mom left, she left most of her clothes behind – they were a bit heavy for Florida. I'm sure there'll be something there that'll fit you"

I dumped my cereal in the sink as Grandpa left the kitchen and headed upstairs and began to rifle through my Mom's drawers. She had some really lovely clothes, some of them quite expensive looking. She would never have bought anything like this, even when she was younger, they must have been presents from someone.

I eventually chose a hyacinth blue blouse that looked a bit like one I saw in Vogue a couple of months ago and some jeans. I was amazed and pleased that fit. I was also glad that my boots were downstairs by the front door. I pulled a grey knitted jumper over the top. The effect was nice, kinda classic. I liked it. I gave up doing anything with my hair and I tied it up in a ponytail, with wispy curls escaping behind my ears and around my neck. My pearl earrings, a sixteenth birthday present from my Mom were already in my ears so I left them in. A towering pile of textbooks on the desk caught my eye, so I sighed and sat down to do my homework.

A couple of hours later, Charlie called from the bottom of the stairs "Alice! Time to go!"

"Coming!" I called back. I closed my textbook and headed downstairs. "Do you mind if I take my car, Grandpa? It's just that you said Billy's son was a mechanic and my roof keeps sticking when I try to out it down and I was wondering if he could take a look at it"

"Course he will. Jake's a great kid. And a great mechanic"

"Why did you say kid? Isn't he Mom's age?"

"A couple of years younger, actually. It's quite funny though. He had a major growth spurt when he was about sixteen so he looked about twenty-five. He hasn't changed much, except that his hair is a bit shorter"

This made me laugh "I'll follow you Grandpa, although I might have to stop for gas"

"OK, kid. Let's go"

The drive to La Push was nice. The leaves on the trees above the highway were yellow and green and brown and gold. It didn't take us long to reach La Push, even with my gas stop. I sang along with a noisy Green Day album, turning it down as we entered the reservation.

By the time we reached Billy's house, the rain had started to come down, hard. The door of the house opened, letting light spill onto the front lawn. Someone ran down the steps towards the cars, holding a large black umbrella. Charlie climbed out of his car and shook hands with a really tall guy, who then looked towards me, sitting in my car, unsure of what to do. I'm not shy like my Mom is, but I'm not always comfortable in social situations.

Charlie called to me "C'mon, it's tipping it down and I'm sure Jake doesn't want to make two trips put here"

I climbed out the car and ran to join Charlie and the person I presumed to be Jacob under the umbrella. I didn't miss the look of shock and then recognition that crossed Jacob's face. "Bella?" he said

"No. Alice – her daughter"

"God, sorry, yes of course. Charlie tells Billy all about his favourite grandchild" He turned and winked at me. Charlie laughed and Jacob and I joined in.

"I'm Jacob, by the way" he shook my hand – his hand was really hot! I was surprised but didn't let it show – I didn't want to be rude.

"Shall we go in Jacob or are we going to stand in the rain all night?" Charlie smiled at us and we headed towards the little house, sheltered from the rain under Jacob's huge black umbrella.

The evening passed quickly. I really enjoyed the food and Jacob's company. We had the same taste in music, movies and cars and spent ages chatting. He was different from other people around my Mom's age; he seemed to value my opinion on everything; Mom's friends tend to just ignore me.

We spent a long time in a little garage made put of plastic sheds that he had used when he still lived with Billy. He found out what was wrong with my car – some piece of metal was jamming the mechanism.

You know how if someone watches you, you find yourself watching back? It was like that with Jacob. I sat in the front seat of my car, with my back leant against the steering wheel, talking and laughing with him and changing the music that played from the car stereo via my i-pod. I would look up to find him watching me and he would look down, embarrassed, but then I would find myself watching him working instead, until he caught me looking and I would look down, embarrassed, and change the song. He didn't look like any ordinary thirty year old; he looked wiser but younger. Like he knew a lot, or had seen a lot while he was very young. He looked about twenty-five, max.

Jacob amazed me. He was so tall and muscley and so young looking. His hands looked like they were too big to handle the delicate task of fixing my roof but they weren't – he finished fast. His hair sometimes fell into his eyes but he would just shake it out of the way with a toss of his head. His russet skin was smooth and contrasted beautifully with his white teeth.

There was a question I had been meaning to ask him for a while and I was working up to it. When he said "finished!" and stepped back to admire his handiwork, I turned the music down and asked him the question "Jake, what was my Mom like when you knew her?"

He looked at me with surprise. He hadn't been expecting me to ask this.

"Well" he began, putting his tools down on the bench and turning around to face me, "She looked just like you. Only, her hair was longer and you seem to be more outgoing than she was. She was a couple of years older than me – she was a junior and I was a freshman. We got on well immediately – I found her really easy to talk to and she seemed to feel the same way about me. When she and her friends came down to the beach once, I told her all these scary stories" He smiled at the memory.

"I'd like to hear them sometime. Is there are beach near here? I didn't realise" That was a lie – I knew there was a beach here, Grandpa had mentioned it a couple of times 

"D'you wanna see it? The rain's stopped and the moon's full, so there's plenty of light"

"Cool. I'd love to. I'll get my jacket"

I ran back inside, triumphant, and grabbed my jacket from the chair in the kitchen where I'd left it and poked my head around the door to Billy's tiny living room.

"Hey Grandpa! I'm going to the beach with Jacob for a bit – hope that's OK?"

Grandpa looked a bit unsure "Alice – you've got school tomorrow and you've got to be up early to drive over there…." he trailed off when he saw I wasn't going to be deterred.

"Well, I caught up on my sleep this morning 'cos I slept for ages so I'm not tired and we won't be long. Bye Grandpa! Bye Billy!"

I didn't wait for an answer; I ran out the door instead and headed over to the garage. Jacob hadn't wanted a coat – he said he was quite warm. He was probably used to Washington weather – I wasn't though, I still missed California. It was too cold for me here, even in September. I headed back to the garage, enjoying the lack of rain and the clear sky – Jacob was right. I heard Jacob's voice coming through the garage door, which stood ajar. I peeked round – he had his back to me and he was talking on a cell phone. 

"I thought it was her, Quil…. Yes, but, I think it happened then…. No, I feel fine…we're going for a walk on the beach… No! You know I wouldn't…. I've got to go. Bye"

He put the phone in his pocket. I slipped through the door "Hey"

"Hey. You ready?"

"Yup"

"What did your Grandpa say?"

"I didn't give him a chance. I ran out before he could say 'no'"

"I used to do the same with Billy"

We walked in comfortable silence down to the beach. Occasionally Jacob would point out landmarks ,like the place where he broke his arm. "That's my garage" he pointed to a small house with the sign "Black's Garage" at the end of a large drive, on which several cars were parked.

"Wow! You've got your own buisness – cool"

He grinned "I like it. I get paid for my hobby"

It didn't take us long to get to the beach. Despite the moonlight, it was quite dark but I felt quite safe with Jacob. I could make out the stones and the bleached branches of the driftwood that had washed up along the beach. I couldn't see the islands that Jacob had mentioned; it was too dark for that. We wandered down the beach and eventually settled on a huge tree that had washed up on the shore. I sat high up, on one of the branches and Jacob leant against the trunk, his arms crossed, looking up at me. I was amazed he wasn't cold, he was just in a t-shirt and jeans.

"Y'know, I think this is the same tree where I told your Mom all those scary stories"

"Jake, I need to know something"

"What?" He gave me a curious look.

"Well, Charlie was telling me about…um…an ex-boyfriend of my Mom's, Edward Cullen, yesterday and he didn't tell me the whole story. What was he like? I wanna know cos he hurt Mom really badly and it's not fair that I shouldn't know. I mean, he's the reason she left here – isn't she?"

When I mentioned Edward Cullen, one of Jacob's hands started shaking. He curled it into a fist, then uncurled it and continued to do so until it stopped shaking, before answering me.

"I never met Cullen" I was surprised at the hate in his voice. He hated Edward Cullen more than I did "But Charlie confided in Billy a lot because I have two sisters and Billy had seen them both through adolescence. He was the reason she left, yeah. I asked him how Bella was a couple of days after he-" I didn't need to ask who "he" was "left and it wasn't good. She was like a zombie; she wouldn't eat or drink and she would just lie on her bed saying 'he's gone' over and over again. My friend Sam Uley found her. He said it was the saddest, most horrific thing he'd ever seen, seeing her lying there on the forest floor like that"

I shivered, though not from the cold. Jacob kept talking. He wasn't looking at me anymore; he was staring out to sea.

"Apparently, when Bella got to Florida, she stayed like that, until she had you. She wouldn't read or listen to music or even watch TV. But, when she had you, it all changed. She realised she had to look after someone other than herself"

I had heard all of this from Charlie, but this confirmed it. I shivered again, but this time it was because I was cold. We sat in silence for a while until I realised by teeth were chattering.

"C'mon" Jake said "Let's go back"

I went to climb down from the tree and I slipped. I thought I was going to hit the rock when Jacob caught me. His warm hands were curled tightly around my wrists, his arms on my waist supporting all my weight. We stayed like that for a second, with his arms wrapped around me, until Jake swung me round and set me back on the ground, saying "You're just as clumsy as your Mom"

As we headed back, it began to rain again and in about two minutes, I was soaked to the skin. Jacob grabbed my hand and we stumbled along, laughing. Charlie was ready to go when I arrived. Jacob wrote his email address down for me; he told me to write if life was getting stressful and if I ever had any trouble with my car, he would come and fix it for me.

Grandpa headed straight for the TV when we got in. He hadn't forgiven me for my run to the beach with Jacob. I packed up my things, which were almost dry and grabbed a few of my Mom's old things. Her old clothes were all back in style and since vintage was in, I figured I might as well get some for free, instead of paying extortionate amounts at vintage clothes stores. I ran through the house, checking that I hadn't left anything behind.

Finally I headed up to bed, having got back into Grandpa's good graces by getting him a cup of tea. I set my phone alarm and lay awake in bed for a long time, thinking over the weekend. I thought about how everyone's face lit up at the mention of my Mom and how no-one seemed to like Edward Cullen. Not that I minded. He should be sent to Hell for what he did to my Mom. Thinking about Mom and Edward Cullen reminded me about the photos. I wanted to ask Mom about them, so I reluctantly climbed out of the warm bed and grabbed the photos from the desk and shoved the photos in a pocket in my bag, next to my purse.

* * *

What do you think?

I don't like it.

If anyone thinks they know what Jacob was saying to Quil, tell me.

xxxx


	7. Septmember 19th Jacob's POV

4O reviews! Thank you soooom much!

I love everyone guessing what Jacob was saying to Quil.

I feel I should mention once again that Stephenie Meyer owns everything, I own nothing.

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Jacob's POV

I had just finished fixing Embry's car when my cell rang. I looked at the caller ID before answering.

"Hi, Dad"

"Hey, Jake. You still coming for dinner tonight – Charlie's coming over"

"Sure, I'll be there. I haven't seen Charlie in a while"

"See you about sixish, then"

"Sure. Bye"

I looked out of the garage window at the grey sky and the rain slanting down, before turning around and heading back to work.

I arrived at Dad's and we sat for a bit, just talking. He asked me about Sam, and Emily, and little baby Lucy who males me wish taht I might have kids of my own someday. He was going to tell me something about Leah Clearwater when I heard two engines outside.

"That'll be Charlie" said Dad, wheeling himself around to check on the pasta.

I grabbed the huge black umbrella and headed out to meet Charlie. That was when I saw her. She sat in her car for a second, unsure of what to do and then climbed out.

"Bella?" I choked out. She was back. She'd finally got over that bloodsucker and come home. The she stepped into the light.

"No. Alice – her daughter" It was just like they all said. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. Not the rain, not my Dad, no-one. Just her. I had imprinted. Just like that. On Bella's daughter. Charlie Swan's granddaughter.

"God, sorry, yes of course. Charlie tells Billy all about his favourite grandchild" I turned and winked at her. Once she told me who she was, I immediately knew. Charlie, ever the proud grandfather, had shown Billy and I loads of pictures. Why hadn't I imprinted on the pictures? Maybe I had to see her in the flesh.

It's not as bad as it sounds – she was definitely younger than me but I couldn't remember her exact age. All I felt towards her was brotherly feelings. For now. I knew they would change later, as she changed. I just wanted to protect her.

"I'm Jacob, by the way" I shook her hand – she didn't seem to notice how hot my hand was, which surprised me, but if her mother had accepted a vampire, why couldn't her daughter accept a werewolf?

"Shall we go in,Jacob or are we going to stand in the rain all night?" Charlie smiled at us and we headed towards the little house, sheltered from the rain under my huge black umbrella.

It was the best evening of my life. Dad's food was good and I could spend the whole evening talking to Alice. She was intelligent, just like her Mom, and just as beautiful. When she asked for help with her car, I was more than happy to oblige – I was tired of Charlie and Billy interrupting our conversation. We spent a long time in my little garage made put of plastic sheds that I had used when I still lived with Billy. I found out what was wrong with Alice's car – some piece of metal was jamming the mechanism, it happened a lot with this kind of car.

Alice sat in the front seat of the car, leaning against the wheel, playing with her i-pod and asking my opinion on all her favourite songs. She liked the older ones which surprised me. She had a light voice and could sing along quite competently, making each song her own.

I found myself watching her, instead of working. She looked so much like Bella! Her hair (even if it was shorter), the way she moved her hands, her skin; even though it was tanned, I could see it the same quality that Bella's used to have. She was even wearing the same clothes. Every now and again, she would catch me watching her, and I would look down, not embarrassed, but I didn't wanna seem like a pervert, interested in a young girl. But then,I would catch her looking and she would look down, embarrssed at having been caught staring.

"Finished!" I said and stood back to check that I hadn't scratched the paintwork. Alice turned the music down. "Jake, what was my Mom like when you knew her?" I hadn't been expecting that! I look of surprise crossed my face and I know Alice spotted it – she was very observant.

"Well" I began, putting tools down on the bench and turning around to face me, "She looked just like you. Only, her hair was longer and you seem to be more outgoing than she was. She was a couple of years older than me – she was a junior and I was a freshman. We got on well immediately – I found her really easy to talk to. When she and her friends came down to the beach once, I told her all these scary stories" I smiled at her.

Her eyes lit up "I'd like to hear them sometime. Is there are beach near here? I didn't realise" She seemed curious and would have shown her anything she wanted to see. She might have been lying about the becah though. I didn't mind.

"D'you wanna see it? The rain's stopped and the moon's full, so there's plenty of light" Now Charlie and Billy definitely couldn't interrupt. All I wanted to do was get to know her better.

"Cool. I'd love to. I'll get my jacket"

She ran inside to get her jacket. I needed to talk to someone and I didn't have much time. I called Quil, he understood about imprinting on someone younger.

"Quil, its Jake"

"Hey, man. Wassup?" I hesitated.

"I just imprinted on Bella Swan's daughter"

"Bella Swan's kid! No kidding! Good on you man, it's about time! Wait, how old is she? What's her name?" I'd called Quil because he wouldn't be judgemenatl about Alice's age.

"Alice – she's 16, except… I thought it was her, Quil"

"Who, Bella?"

"Yes, but I think it happened then"

"Are you OK, are you ill? Are you sure? When I imprinted I suddenly felt sick and dizzy"

"No, I feel fine"

"That's good. So what are you gonna do now?"

"We're going for a walk on the beach"

"Can I come? You might faint on her!" I could hear him smiling down the line.

"No! You know I wouldn't"

"If you're sure. Everyone's going to wanna meet her sometime"

I ignored that point. I had heard Alice scuff her boot on the path outside "I've got to go. Bye"

I kept my back to Alice as she slipped through the door. I didn't ask her if she'd heard anything – she wouldn't have been able to follow my side of the conversation anyway. "Hey" she said

"Hey. You ready?"

"Yup"

"What did your Grandpa say?"

"I didn't give him a chance. I ran out before he could say 'no'"

"I used to do the same with Billy" She was just a teenager, I realised. I mean, I knew she was one but she had seemed more adult, like Bella had. Running off to the beach, at night, without permission, seemed like a great adventure to her. We walked in silence, it was nice though. Then I noticed Quil in the shadows, as a wolf, watching us. I pointed out some landmarks, to stop her from spotting the huge wolf and getting terrified.

"That's my garage" I pointed to my small house. It was basic, but nice. I had a large garage on the side where I did all the work and then my house next to it. It wasn't much, but it was home

"Wow! You're a mechanic – cool. Charlie said you liked cars – I didn't realise you fixed them for a living" She seemed genuinely impressed. Of course, I was proud of my little business. Dowling's had long since gone out of business and now, everyone brought their cars to me.

I grinned "I like it. I get paid for my hobby"

It didn't take us long to get to the beach. Despite the moonlight, it was quite dark but I sensed that Alice felt safe with me. She couldn't see much, unlike me – being a werewolf does have some perks. I could see Embry and Sam had joined Quil. When Alice turned to look at the islands she couldn't see, I waved me hand at them, to shoo them away. Sam understood what I meant and left, shortly followed by the other two. We wandered down the beach and eventually settled on what seemed to be the same tree that I told Bella the stories on. I told her this but she didn't seem to be paying attention. I gazed up at her, sitting above me on a branch and she looked back down at me. The loose curls from her ponytail danced in the wind.

"Jake, I need to know something" I was right, she was curious. I had no idea what she wanted

"What?" I gave her a curious look.

"Well, Charlie was telling me about…um…an ex-boyfriend of my Mom's, Edward Cullen, yesterday and he didn't tell me the whole story. What was he like? I wanna know cos he hurt Mom really badly and it's not fair that I shouldn't know. I mean, he's the reason she left here – isn't she?"

When she mentioned Edward Cullen, that filthy leech, one of my hands started shaking. I curled it into a fist, then uncurled it and continued to do so until it stopped shaking, before answering her. I needed to maintain control. I needed to be calm as I answered her.

"I never met Cullen" I was surprised by the hate in my voice. I thought I was calm "But Charlie confided in Billy a lot because I have two sisters and Billy had seen them both through adolescence. I asked him how Bella was and it wasn't good. She was like a zombie; she wouldn't eat or drink and she would just lie on her bed saying 'he's gone' over and over again. My friend Sam Uley found her. He said it was the saddest, most horrific thing he'd ever seen, seeing her lying there on the forest floor like that"

I stared out to sea. I remembered how perturbed Charlie was, how scared he was. He called us a lot. I remembered how worried I was about her. At the time, we had felt like kindred spirits. And then Bella left. "Apparently, when Bella got to Florida, she stayed like that, until she had you. She wouldn't read or listen to music or even watch TV. But, when she had you, it all changed. She realised she had to look after someone other than herself"

I remember hearing from Billy, who had just spoken to Charlie, that Bella had been raped and was having her rapist's child. Alice shivered. I didn't want her to get cold. Charlie might not let her come and see me again if she got ill. I hadn't wanted to scare her but she needed to know.

"C'mon" I said "Let's go back"

Alice began to climb down from the tree and slipped. Acting on instinct, I caught her. My hands were curled tightly around her delicate wrists, my arms around her tiny waist, supporting all her weight. We stayed like that for a second, with my arms wrapped around her, until I swung her round and set her back on the ground, saying "You're just as clumsy as your Mom". It was good to feel I was protecting her, the way I couldn't with Bella.

As we headed back to Dad's, it began to rain again and in about two minutes, we were both soaked to the skin. I grabbed her hand and pulled her along, laughing as she stumbled. She joined in.

Charlie was ready to go when got back. He wasn't too happy with me for keeping Alice out late. I ignored him and wrote down my email for her; I told her to write if life was getting stressful and if she ever had any trouble with my car, I would come and fix it for her. Any excuse to see her again

Once they left, my Dad guessed what was going on

"You imprinted on Charlie's granddaughter!" He was incredulous.

"Quil imprinted on a two year old!" Quil was a useful defence against anyone's judgement "Anyway, it's not like that!

"If you say so" Dad seemed dubious, so I left without another word.

I changed and soon the others thoughts were flowing around me

"Good job!"

"About time too!"

"Congratulations" That came from Sam. He understood. I ran to join my family, happier than I had been in a long time.

* * *

Cheesey last line!

I couldn't resist!

What do you think?

My Beta wasn't able to help with this one but I'm on half term this week so (fingers crossed) there will be lots of updates.

xxx


	8. September 20th Alice's POV

Another update. I din't enjoy writing this chapter as much as I thought I would.

However, this chapter will be done from Bella's POV. Eventually

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Alice's POV

I left Grandpa's early, before he was even awake, and drove to school, after the world's fastest shower. For ease, I wore Mom's blouse and jeans again. I sang along with some of the songs Jacob had said he liked. The morning at school was easy; I drifted along in lessons, not really paying attention. My mind was elsewhere – on Jacob.

As Hattie, Tom, Matt and I headed to the canteen; a bright sign-up sheet caught my eye. "Art lessons" it read "Instead of period 5. Extra credit. First come, first serve" I stopped and began to rifle around in my bag for a pen. This would be better than a subject I'd already studied "This looks good, Hats. It'll be better than geography"

"Don't see why not" she said while I continued to hunt around in my bag, my hands were full of junk - half eaten sweet packets, my cell phone, my i-pod, empty ink cartridges, forgotten receipts and my wallet. The boys left to go and get a table from the canteen

"Do you want me to hold something?" Hattie looked at my hands, both full of stuff. I handed her my wallet, cell phone, i-pod and some papers while I continued to look.

"Thanks" I said "Do you want me to write your name on there too?"

"Sure. It'll be easier than me trying to find a pen myself.…..Hey, are these your parents?"

Hattie was holding up a picture of my Mom and Edward Cullen. I turned back to the sheet and wrote our names in my messy artist handwriting.

"No. That's my Mom"I turned to face "That's not my Dad. I don't know who my Dad is" I turned and wrote our names on the sign up sheet. I took everything back from her, apart from the photo and headed towards the canteen. She followed.

"My Mom was raped by some guy at her high school. I don't know who he is. That's an ex-boyfriend of hers" Seeing Edward Cullen made me cross, and when I get cross, I tend to say too much

"Oh my god. Your poor Mom. But this can't be an ex of hers. It can't be" She said, sounding shocked

"Why not?"

"Well, that's Edward Cullen" she said "Bastard" I thought

"How do know him?"

"He goes to school here" I stopped at the top of the stairs and grabbed the picture from her.

"What are you talking about?"   
"That's him right there"

And there he was. At the bottom of the stairs, staring up at us, his eyes narrowed. I was confused, how could he have been with my Mom, sixteen years ago but look exactly the same and be going to school with me? Abruptly, my world went black.

I wasn't sure where I was. My head hurt and there was a sharp pain in my left arm. The last thing I remembered was my world going black and hitting something cold and hard. I was somewhere comfortable now, but it smelled like antiseptic. I knew where I was.

I didn't want to open my eyes, but I did anyway. I was right. I was in a hospital. I hated hospitals. Grandma and Phil had both died in one and I was forever coming here when I was younger, with broken arms. I looked down- my hand was bandaged up and my shirt was stained with blood and there were some splashes on my jeans too. Thank god I didn't faint at the smell of blood, like my Mom.

"Ah, Miss Dwyer, you're awake. I'm Doctor Cullen" I could here a man's voice, with an English accent to my right. The name souded important to me, but I couldn't remember why, everything was a bit hazy.

I turned to see a very handsome man, with blonde hair, who couldn't be more than 30, looking down at me.

"Why am I here?" I knew the answer to that too; I just didn't want to hear it.

"You fainted, fell down and flight of stairs, cutting your head, quite badly, and breaking your wrist on the way" Well, that explained the shooting pains and the headache. I tried to move my finger and winced. "Does that hurt?" He said, indicating to my hand with his pen.

"Kinda"

"I'll get you some pain meds"

Suddenly I remembered someone very important "Has anyone called my Mom?"

"Yes, she should be here soon. I'll just go and get those meds"

He walked around the curtain and left me. I could see my bag on a chair at the end of my bed. I wanted my jumper; I could see a cuff hanging out the side. I was lying on top of the sheets and I was quite cold.

I'd been taking in my surrounding for awhile, at least fifteen minutes when my Mom's head poked around the curtain. I had been getting pretty bored and I wanted my i-pod, my jumper and those pain meds. At least the world was less hazy now. I still couldn't remember why the doctor's name was familiar.

"Alice! Oh, baby, are you OK?" She wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back with my one good arm. She sounded like my Grandma when I did something dangerous. Hysterical, in a way that was funny to me but not so funny to her.

"I'm fine. The doctor said I've broken my wrist and I cut my head pretty bad too"

"When did you wake up? Can I get you anything?" She was flustered, her scarf, a birthday present from a friend, hung loose around her neck and her bag hung from her elbow.

"I woke up about fifteen minutes ago"

"You're pretty lucid. But then again you recover so fast. Are you sure you don't want anything?" She was probably remembering the time I fell from a tree at our old house in California, breaking my arm on the pavement and seeming oblivious to the pain until the ambulance arrived

"Could you get my jumper out of my bag? I'm kinda cold"

"Sure hun" She went round to the chair and pulled the jumper out of the bag. She was turning around to face me when she noticed something in my bag and pulled something out. The photos.

"Alice, where did you get these?" She stared at me, her brown eyes wide and shining

"Charlie's house"

She handed me my jumper and sank down onto the bed.

"Oh my God. Oh my God" She stared at the photos

The doctor came back around the curtain and stopped and stared at my Mom.

"Bella?"

Mom spun around, dropping my sweater and the photos onto my lap.

"Carlisle?"

"Mom, you know the doctor?"

"He's……Edward's father" Bingo. That explained the surname

"Bella, what are you doing here?"

"My daughter got hurt at school and I came to pick her up and. now...I….er…I have to go. Doctor, please discharge my daughter"

I had no idea what was going on. Clearly, this was upsetting my Mom. She was almost in tears and her shoulders were beginning to shake.

"Bella, please, stay. Alice would want to see you"

Hello? I'm right here, I wanted to say. Instead, I pulled my sweater over my head "No. I need to leave. I can't be here. Alice, I'll be in the car" She left the cubicle and hurried out, tears streaming down her face. I had no idea what was wrong.

"OK, well, Miss Dwyer, here are you pain meds. Take them first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Take one now" He handed me a glass of water from the bedside and a tablet. I took them gratefully "You're not concussed, so go home and rest up. It would be better for you if you didn't drive. Yous hould just go home and sleep"

"Thanks. I'll do that" I took the pot from him and shoved it in my bag. I hopped off the bed and pulled on. "Thank you. I'm sorry about my Mom"

"Don't worry. I understand. What my son did was wrong"

"What did he do?"

"That's something for your mother to tell you"

He signed my chart with a flourish and drew back the curtain.

"Your mother's in the reception" he pointed down the corridor and I could see Mom sitting in a chair, her head in her hands through the glass in the door. I sighed and headed down the corridor. I went through the door and stood by her chair "Mom" I shook her shoulder "Mom". She looked up, her eyes red and watery "The doctor discharged me. Let's go" She stood up slowly and I put my arm around her and we slowly walked out of the hospital. Sometimes, I felt like the mother in the relationship.

"Mom. Are you OK to drive? I would, but y'know…" I trailed off and waved my arm at her. "I'm fine, baby" She rifled around in her bag and pulled out her car keys. She opened my door for me and went around to her own side. She belted me up and we drove home. It was so strange for me to be in the car without music. With my good hand, I switched on the radio and began station hopping and settled for an old Muse song, singing along under my breath. "Turn it off Alice" She said it just loud enough for me to hear.

"Why?"   
"I'm not having this argument with you again Alice. Turn it off" I hated it when she made me turn my music off. That's why she bought me the i-pod - so she wouldn't have to listen to it.

"Fine" I turned it off "What's your problem with music anyway?" I glanced at her. Her hands were gripped tightly on the wheel

"I just don't like it"

"You can't not like music" I said, very much in the role of a sullen teenager "It's like a universal thing-"

"I just don't Alice, OK? Drop it, OK? Just drop it!" She yelled

I gasped. Mom never raised her voice. Never. Not when I went out when I was grounded or was caught skipping school when we were in California. She pulled into the drive and turned to me, her eyes blazing and brimming with tears. "I just don't like music" She climbed out of the car and strode across the lawn, into the house, slamming the door as she did.

I sat in the car for a long time. I didn't notice the silence until the rain started to come down. Slowly, taking care not to bash my hand, I climbed out of the car and went into the house. Mom was sitting at the kitchen table, staring out of the window, the rain on the window casting strange shadows on her face. The photos were in her hand. She didn't even glance up at me.

"Mom. I'm sorry. Is this something to do with Edward Cullen?"

"How do you know about him? And where did you get these?"

"Charlie told me this weekend. I made a hole in the floor by accident and I found them in there. Why did you put them in the floor?"   
"I didn't" Her voice was astonished "He put them there"

"Mom. Tell me what happened" I pulled a chair out from under the table and sat down opposite her "Tell me everything"

We sat there, opposite each other for a long time. When she did talk, she didn't tell me much. But enough "I met him when I was seventeen. He was my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love. The love of my life. My only love. He was different from the boys in my year – he mysterious, more adult and seemed dangerous, that was what he told me. We fell in love. Or so I thought. Then, one day, he told me he and his family were leaving; that he didn't love me anymore. Just like that. I was best friends with his sister. She left without saying goodbye. When he left, I gave up. He was my life and he was gone. He was like a drug, I was addicted and I wanted more. When I couldn't get more, I died inside. When Mom came to get me, I didn't fight her because I knew he was never going to come back. I wasn't ready to move on, but I needed to get out of Forks."

"There's something you're not telling me" Her tone had been secretive; she had been holding something back.

"Have you ever had a secret you couldn't tell anybody else? A secret that wasn't yours to tell?"

"No" I told my Mom everything, eventually. She was good at getting secrets out of me.

"I can't tell you that bit, baby; it's not fair on his family" This was getting me no-where. We could go round and round in circles for hours, me pestering, her not telling, so I tried a different tactic.

"Then why don't you listen to music or watch TV?"

"The reason I don't watch TV or listen to music is that it reminds me of him, and I don't need reminding. I've tried to move on, and I haven't succeeded" She laughed a bitter life "And then when Leo-" she gasped and her hands flew to her face.

"Leo? That's my Dad's name?" Mom had never said my Dad's name aloud. She had said he was not important, nothing but a sperm donor. But ever since we moved up here, I've been feeling like I might have been missing out on something. I've never given a Father's Day card or been in the Father and Daughter races on school sports days.

"Yes. His name was, I suppose still is, Leo Hughes"

I sat for awhile in silence, thinking. Mom seemed to finally released some great burden because she stood up and started making some hot chocolate.

"Mom"

She sighed "Alice" She was probably getting tired of the Spanish Inquisition.

"Why did you freak out about seeing that doctor in the hospital? How could he be Edward's Dad? I mean, he looked, like, twenty-five or something and he hasn't changed since I last saw him"

"Edward was adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife" That was the first time she'd said his name aloud, in this conversation. The only other time I had heard her say it was in the hospital.

"Oh" I sat for a couple of minutes. Mom put a cup of her hot chocolate, which is the nicest in the world, in my hands "Then why hasn't Edward aged? That's kinda what made me faint. I was looking at the photo" I gestured with my head towards the table "and then I saw him, standing at the bottom of the stairs, glaring up at me. I couldn't work it out; I was so totally confused that my brain just gave up. Or maybe it was the shock"

"Oh" My Mom squeaked. My Mom actually squeaked. She never squeaks. Probably because there's only ever been one guy for her. "He's here. In this town. He goes to school with you" She started taking deep breaths, staring down at her cup of chocolate. "I don't want to see him" She sounded determined

"But you said he was the love of your life or something"

"I know. But he doesn't love me. Why would he want to see me? He left and then I left"

"Where did he go?"

She said it so quietly I could barely hear her "LA"

"So that's why you moved there! To find him!"

"He didn't go there"

"How do you know?"

"He doesn't like the sun. That's the last place he would go" For some reason this made me laugh

"What, is he like a vampire of something?"

She gasped and her mug of chocolate fell from her hands and spun across the floor, leaving hot brown liquid everywhere. Her face looked guilty

"What are you saying? He's a vampire! They don't exist! They're the stuff from fairytales. You read about them in books"

The look on her face told me otherwise

"Vampires are real, Alice, and I fell in love with one. There. I said it. Finally"

I took a deep breath "Oh my god. You think I'm going to believe that vampires exist? No way. That is utter bullshit. I'm getting out of here" I couldn't believe her! Vampires? What utter crap. I needed to talk to someone. I needed to see Jacob.

Someone had dropped my car off before I had gotten home from the hospital so I strode out to the car, slamming every door I could on the way. My keys were in the ignition. Mom followed me out and stood on the front porch "Alice! Come back! Don't go!"

"No. I can't believe you expect me to believe such crap"

"You can't go anywhere – you can't drive"

"Just watch me!" It was stupid and I was being immature but she honestly expected for me to believe such bull. My hand didn't hurt now, but it would soon, I knew it and I regretted not grabbing my pain meds from the kitchen counter, where they'd fallen out of my bag when I dumped it there. I reversed down my side of the driveway, ignoring the shooting pains in my wrist.

Mom ran down to the end of the driveway and watched me drive away.

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Hope you enjoyed it!

Review please!

xxx


	9. September 20th Edward's POV

Ooooh...UPDATE :)

There will probably some mistakes in here - sorry!

I got this update in today because I'm going to Bath tomorrow :)

Enjoy!

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Edward's POV

"Edward" Alice's voice rang up the stairs "Time for purgatory!" I sighed "We're gonna be late!" She called in her sing-song voice. I walked downstairs, where my family was waiting "Edward, you're driving" Emmett threw me the keys. Out of all our cars, my car was the least conspicuous. I still had the Volvo that I had had when we were in Forks and so now, it was pretty old, although Rosalie liked to tinker with the engine.

I didn't like to listen to my music anymore, when I lost Bella, I lost my love of music. However, it was Alice's turn in the front of the car and that meant being subjected to loud, offensive to real music R&B all the way to school. While Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper headed off to their senior classes, Alice and I went to our morning lessons. Alice pretending to be Esme had arranged that we would have our lessons together so we would not be "lonely". We spent the lessons having mental conversations.

I could not stop thinking about Bella's daughter and the hate in her voice while she slept. Alice thought it was hilarious, that this child I had never met could despise me. Rosalie didn't understand why I was still in love with Bella, when she had moved on and had a daughter.

The day passed even more unhurriedly than usual. The only thing out of the norm was that my chemistry teacher asked me to tutor someone called A. Dwyer; A minor break in the monotony. I wanted to refuse but she gave me no choice. I had no energy to decline. I drowned out my peers thoughts. They were all repetitive, the same, I'd heard them all before. Alice and I walked slowly to the canteen, in keeping with our human façade. I kept my eyes on the hair of the girl in front, not really seeing her. As we reached the bottom of the stairs, a group of children opened a door, blowing a draught down the corridor. A familiar scent blew down the corridor. I turned to look back up the stairs

"What is it, Edward?" Alice noticed my preoccupation

"It's Bella's daughter. I can smell her" I focused in on her thoughts and tried to listen to her voice in the crowd. I finally heard it "Why not?" I tried to work who she was talking to. It wasn't hard. "Well, that's Edward Cullen" Harriet, also known has Hattie, Day was talking to her. She was a nice girl, who didn't like to gossip. "Bastard" Alice's thoughts, full of venom were thinking of me. How could this young girl hate me? I had done nothing to her. I may have hurt her mother, and I felt terrible about that, but as a human, she wasn't capable of such strong feelings; was she? "How do know him?" Bella's daughter was as curious as she had been when I knew her. "He goes to school here" Hattie and Alice stopped at the top of the stairs and Alice grabbed the picture from her. "What are you talking about?" Alice leaned towards her, like they were sharing a secret. Hattie glanced at me.  
"That's him right there" She pointed at me. Alice turned to face me, her face filled with confusion. I must have looked pretty angry because her face became a mask of hurt. And then she fell.

"Oh my God!" Hattie cried. The whole corridor turned to watch as Alice fell down the stairs, head over heels. She cut her head and as the blood filled the corridor and then her wrist. Alice pinched her nose. I stepped forward, pushing past Matt Gwyn and Tom Stevens. She fell into my arms, her head lolling in the crook of my elbow.

I realised she was wearing one of Bella's blouses. It was my favourite shirt of hers. Blood was slowly dripping onto the front of her shirt and as she fell, some of it had fallen onto her jeans. I pushed her hair away from the cut which was bleeding profusely. I had heard her wrist click as she fell – it was definitely broken.

"Someone call an ambulance!" I yelled. My sheep-like peers were crowding around, trying to get a glimpse of the unconscious girl in my arms.

"I'm on it" Alice's phone was already by her ear. It was amazingly easy to ignore the smell of this girl's blood as I shrugged out of my jacket, always supporting her head and pressed it to her cut.

To continue with the façade, I needed to pretend I had no idea who this girl was. Her friend ran down the stairs "What's her name?" I asked

"Alice Dwyer. She's in junior year. Like us"

"Wow he's cute" Her thoughts were easy to hear. What was this girl doing? Trying to flirt while her friend was lying unconscious in my arms? This girl had no self respect. "Did you learn first aid?" She twirled her hair on her finger

"My father's a doctor"

"Oh. Cool. My Dad's an accountant" Would this girl ever give up? Couldn't she see I wasn't interested at all?

"The ambulance is here" Alice appeared at my shoulder. Teachers had appeared along with the paramedics, moving along the children. The paramedics asked me the basic questions, and one of them recognised me as Carlisle's 'son'.

I spent the day in a daze, or in as much of a daze as vampires can ever be. I drove home, ignoring the thoughts of my siblings; all of them were focused on Bella's daughter, Alice _Dwyer_. That must be her husband's surname.

I went straight up to my room, where I stayed until I heard Carlisle's thoughts "….Bella? What do I tell him?" As he got closer, he carefully disguised his thoughts. He was good at this, but he would be, after one hundred years of practice. I waited until he had greeted Esme and the others before coming downstairs.

"Edward" He turned to me "I saw Bella today"

"I know. You didn't hide your thoughts early enough"

"She's still loves you" He thought.

"She doesn't" I said "She's married with a daughter"

"She wasn't wearing a ring" This he said aloud

"You could still marry her, bro. I bet she would still want you to change her" Rosalie and I both growled at Emmett's contribution. Rosalie left the room. "What? It's true" Emmett shrugged and Jasper sent a wave of calm through the room.

"I won't see her. She's moved on. She's married. Her daughter's surname is _Dwyer_" I left the room, but I could still hear them talking.

"What's Alice like?" Jasper said "I mean the other Alice, the human Alice." he added, with a quick glance at his wife.

"Just like Bella" Carlisle replied "Except she seems less shy, has shorter hair and is less clumsy. She's very pretty"

"How was Bella? Has she moved on, as Edward says?" This came from Alice

"I don't think she has. She looked very young and horrified to see me" I heard his thoughts as he replayed his conversation with Alice and her daughter. Bella was as beautiful as I remembered. Seeing her like that, seemingly as young as ever, made the pain strong again and it washed over me in waves and I sunk under again, indulging myself in memories of Bella.

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Review please!

xxxx

P.S. Stephenie Meyer owns all - I own nothing


	10. September 20th Bella's POV

Another update...and...it's from Bella's POV :)

Hope you like it...

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Bella's POV

"Bella" he leaned towards me with a leering smile on his face. His blue eyes pierced through me "C'mon, what are you afraid of?" I shivered. His hand reached towards me. Suddenly I was in a forest and he was there, watching me.

I woke up with a scream. I sat up in bed, trying not to remember what I was dreaming about. I hadn't taken my sleeping pills last night, so I had had a restless night.

I couldn't stay in bed; I'd fall asleep and dream again, which was something I wanted to avoid. I showered, thankful that the company had paid for a swish hotel, rather than the employees trying to find their own accommodation; like last year. I had had five people staying in my house. Alice was shipped off to a friend's house for a sleepover.

As I dressed, I thought about Alice. She was the best thing that had ever happened to me, and I hated leaving her. She was beautiful, and if I hadn't had her, I'd still be – actually, I'd rather not think about what I would be if I hadn't had her.

I left the hotel before any of my colleagues. They had stayed up all last night drinking and wouldn't be up until five minutes before check out. I was glad of my early flight, I would go home and spend a nice evening with Alice; I'd stop by the video shop and get some of her favourite films out and we could spend the evening on the couch eating Ben & Jerry's.

When I turned my phone on when I got off the plane, I had several text messages and missed calls, some from my assistant, Miranda, and some from an unknown number. As I went through my messages, voice and text, I began to panic. Alice had fallen down some stairs at school and been knocked out. She was at the hospital now.

As I ran back to my car, tripping several times, I began to fear for the worst. What if she was brain dead? Or in a coma for the rest of her life? I would never see her smile again or see the intuition in her eyes when she knew I was lying.

I drove in silence, wishing I hadn't been cross with her for doing anything wrong – it was cruel when her life had been cut short. I wish I hadn't been "disappointed" when I caught her trying her first cigarette or when she had been out all night when she was grounded. I wished I had been angry; you could get over anger, but not disappointment.

When I reached the hospital, I ran across the parking lot. I must have looked quite mad. My hair was in a state of total disarray and the scarf Ellie had given me was loose around my neck. Once the nurse at reception realised who I was, she sent me in the direction, through some doors to her right.

I hated hospitals, especially going down the wards. I didn't mind A&E as much, it was relatively fast there. It made me sad to see all the sick people in their beds. I knew that some of them wouldn't get better.

I found Alice's cubicle and as I peeked my head around, I released the breath I had been holding in.

"Alice! Oh, baby, are you OK?" I crossed to the bed and wrapped her up in my arms. She had a large bandage across her forehead and one of her hands was bandaged up. Her short, which looked very similar to one of my old ones, was coated in blood and some had splashed onto her jeans, which also looked a lot like an old pair of mine.

"I'm fine" She replied "The doctor said I've broken my wrist and I cut my head pretty bad too"

"When did you wake up? Can I get you anything?"

"I woke up about fifteen minutes ago" She sounded pretty sure about that

"You're pretty lucid. But then again you recover so fast. Are you sure you don't want anything?" I thought about the time she fell from the tree in the front garden in our house in California, breaking her arm. She hadn't cried until the ambulance came and that was because she didn't want to go in the ambulance because she thought it was the child snatchers coming to get her.

"Could you get my jumper out of my bag? I'm kinda cold" Now that I looked, I could see the raised goose bumps on her arms.

"Sure hun" I turned and grabbed her jumper from her bag and out of the corner of my eye I noticed something resting underneath her purse. I pulled them out and stared in horror.

"Alice, where did you get these?" They were supposed to be gone forever. He was supposed to have them. I stared at my daughter, my eyes filling with tears.

"Charlie's house" Her blue eyes, just like her father's, were filled with guilt. I handed her the jumper and sank down onto the bed.

"Oh my God. Oh my God" I stared at the photos. He was supposed to have taken them, hidden them. No-one was supposed to see them. They were not supposed to exist. The doctor came back around the curtain and stopped.

"Bella?" I would recognise that accent anywhere. I spun round, dropping the photos into Alice's lap

"Carlisle?" What was he doing here? Did that mean he was here? And his family? I wouldn't see him, if he was here. I'd worked hard to be normal for Alice. If I saw him it would ruin it.

"Mom, you know the doctor?" Alice looked cautious, her eyes flicking from Carlisle to me.

"He's……Edward's father" That was the first time I had said his name aloud in a long time. Intuition flashed across Alice's face. She knew who Edward was.

"Bella, what are you doing here?" Carlisle looked amazed.

"My daughter got hurt at school and I came to pick her up and. now...I….er…I have to go. Doctor, please discharge my daughter" I decided to treat him like I didn't know him. I needed to get out of there, fast. I could feel the tears building behind my eyes. I didn't need any reminders.

"Bella, please, stay. Alice would want to see you" Why did he keep reminding me? I didn't want to see any of them. It would only make it worse. "No. I need to leave. I can't be here. Alice, I'll be in the car" I was working on autopilot as I ran from the cubicle, tears streaming freely down my face.

I sat on an uncomfortable chair, burying my head in my hands. I tried not to think. Whatever happened I would be having bad dreams tonight.

"Mom" Alice was shaking my shoulder. "Mom". I looked up "The doctor discharged me. Let's go" She was really beautiful, my daughter, even with a bandage on her forehead. But all mothers thought that about their daughters, didn't they? I stood up slowly, so in wouldn't fall over, and Alice put her arm around me and we slowly walked out of the hospital. Sometimes, I felt like the daughter in the relationship, instead of the relationship.

We walked back to the car in silence. Alice offered to drive, but couldn't, because of her wrist. She still hadn't asked whatever it was she was going to ask. Instead, she fiddled with my radio. I hated it when she did that. There was a good reason I didn't listen to music, and although Alice didn't know why, she knew well enough that I didn't like music.

She turned it to a song I recognised and sang along. I knew this song; He had played it to me. "Turn it off Alice" I didn't say it loudly, I hated shouting and I hadn't ever shouted at her.

"Why?" "I'm not having this argument with you again Alice. Turn it off" She hated it when I made her turn her music off. I had even bought her an i-pod so I wouldn't have to listen to her music.

"Fine" She turned it off

"What's your problem with music anyway?" I could feel her eyes on me. I tightened my grip on the wheel

"I just don't like it" I hadn't told her about him yet, hopefully I would never have to.

"You can't not like music" she said, very much in the role of a sullen teenager "It's like a universal thing-""I just don't Alice, OK? Drop it, OK? Just drop it!" I yelled. Alice gasped. I was horrified at myself. I had never shouted at her before.

I pulled into the drive and turned to my daughter, my eyes brimming with tears. "I just don't like music" I said and climbed out of the car and strode across the lawn, into the house, slamming the door every door I could.

I sat in the kitchen for a long time, lost in a daze of Edward and Leo. It had begun to rain, but I didn't get up. I sat in the dark kitchen, staring at the photos in my hand. Suddenly Alice came into the kitchen. I hadn't even heard her open the front door, then again, I wasn't paying much attention."Mom. I'm sorry. Is this something to do with Edward Cullen?" I was struck dumb. Who had told her?"How do you know about him? And where did you get these?""Charlie told me this weekend" Of course "I made a hole in the floor by accident and I found them in there. Why did you put them in the floor?" "I didn't. He put them there" They were there all along? "Mom. Tell me what happened" I pulled a chair out from under the table and sat down opposite her "Tell me everything" Suddenly, I felt the need to tell her everything. But I couldn't. I couldn't tell her about what he really was and I couldn't tell her about her father either. We sat there, opposite each other for a long time. Eventually, I gathered enough to tell her what I could "I met him when I was seventeen. He was my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love. The love of my life. My only love. He was different from the boys in my year – he mysterious, more adult and seemed dangerous, that was what he told me. We fell in love. Or so I thought. Then, one day, he told me he and his family were leaving; that he didn't love me anymore. Just like that. I was best friends with his sister. She left without saying goodbye. When he left, I gave up. He was my life and he was gone. He was like a drug, I was addicted and I wanted more. When I couldn't get more, I died inside. When Mom came to get me, I didn't fight her because I knew he was never going to come back. I wasn't ready to move on, but I needed to get out of Forks.""There's something you're not telling me" My own daughter knows me better than I know her – she can read me like a book. "Have you ever had a secret you couldn't tell anybody else? A secret that wasn't yours to tell?" I needed her to understand. "No" Alice told me everything. I could always get secrets out of her."I can't tell you that bit, baby; it's not fair on his family" "Then why don't you listen to music or watch TV?" Alice had changed her tactics. "The reason I don't watch TV or listen to music is that it reminds me of him, and I don't need reminding. I've tried to move on, and I haven't succeeded" I laughed a bitter life. My laugh was crap, I realised. I had my daughter and she was wonderful, but I couldn't move on from some mythical creature and then I had allowed was some bastard did to me to cripple me mentally "And then when Leo-" I carried on without realising what I was saying until I said his name. Alice didn't know her father's name."Leo? That's my Dad's name?" Mom I had said he was not important, nothing but a sperm donor. Sometimes I got the feeling Alice felt like she was missing out on something. "Yes. His name was, I suppose still is, Leo Hughes" By telling Alice his name, I seemed to have finally released a small part of my burden of secrets. I suddenly realised how cold I was so I got up and started making hot chocolate, Alice's favourite. "Mom"

I sighed "Alice" I was getting tired of the Spanish Inquisition.

"Why did you freak out about seeing that doctor in the hospital? How could he be Edward's Dad? I mean, he looked, like, twenty-five or something and he hasn't changed since I last saw him" I should have seen that one coming

"Edward was adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife" I used his name aloud to Alice for the first time. I felt a bit more of my crippling loads was released. Alice should know something at least. It wasn't fair to keep her in the dark over everything,

"Oh" Alice said. I pushed a cup of the chocolate into her hands. I sat down. I knew what was coming next.

"Then why hasn't Edward aged? That's kinda what made me faint. I was looking at the photo" She gestured with her head towards the table "and then I saw him, standing at the bottom of the stairs, glaring up at me. I couldn't work it out; I was so totally confused that my brain just gave up. Or maybe it was the shock"

"Oh. He's here. In this town. He goes to school with you" I was speaking to myself, telling myself that I shouldn't drive Alice to school tomorrow and wait to see him, just to see if he was real. I started taking deep breaths, staring down at my cup of chocolate. "I don't want to see him" I was surprised how determined I sounded. It would do me no good to do that – I would only become a zombie again, which was something I didn't want. I was never going to see Edward Cullen (it was getting easier to say his name) again. He didn't love me and I needed to get over him and move on.

"But you said he was the love of your life or something" She wasn't going to give up now.

"I know. But he doesn't love me. Why would he want to see me? He left and then I left"

"Where did he go?"

She would think I was some lovesick fool. I told her anyway "LA"

"So that's why you moved there! To find him!"

"He didn't go there"

"How do you know?"

"He doesn't like the sun. That's the last place he would go" For some reason this made Alice laugh

"What, is he like a vampire of something?"

I gasped and dropped my mug, spilling scalding liquid down my leg and across the floor. I ignored it. My daughter had guessed first time! It had taken me so long to work out what Edward was.

"What are you saying? He's a vampire! They don't exist! They're the stuff from fairytales. You read about them in books" Alice was incredulous, she didn't believe me. Suddenly, I felt the need for her to know the truth, the whole truth.

"Vampires are real, Alice, and I fell in love with one. There. I said it. Finally" I felt so good to finally tell someone. My burden was lifted. She didn't believe me though; I could see it in her face. She took a deep breath

"Oh my god. You think I'm going to believe that vampires exist? No way. That is utter bullshit. I'm getting out of here"

Someone had dropped Alice's car off before we had got home from the hospital. She strode out of the kitchen, slamming every door she could on the way. Just like I had on the way in. I followed me out and stood on the front porch "Alice! Come back! Don't go!" I called. By telling my daughter the truth I had driven her away.

"No. I can't believe you expect me to believe such crap"

"You can't go anywhere – you can't drive" She couldn't drive with her wrist like that, although I didn't know if she had taken any medication or not, I had run out of the ward.

"Just watch me!" She drove down the driveway, wincing as she turned the wheel with her bad wrist. I ran down to the end of the driveway and watched my daughter drive out of sight.


	11. September 20th and 21st Alice's POV

We have an update! I'm so sorry it took me so long! I've been so busy with coursework. I considered putting the story on hiatus! I won't though; you might just have to wait a while before the next update! Sorry! Anyway, enjoy and review!

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Alice's POV 

I drove down the highway, ignoring the sharp, shooting pains in my wrist, listening to angry girl music, which usually soothes me. It didn't help my anger this time though. I was too cross with my Mom. What did she think I was, five? Vampires don't exist. Neither do witches, werewolves, mermaids, giants, troll or fairies.

I had left my cell phone at home, so I couldn't call Jake and tell him I was coming. I drove through Forks, trying to avoid anywhere my Grandpa might be, in case Mom had called him, which was likely. As I entered La Push, I realised I had no idea what to say to Jacob. He had said to email him if I ever needed him but this was a little different. I hoped he wouldn't mind. As I got closer to Jacob's garage, I became aware that I had nothing with me; no clothes, no meds, no cell phone, nothing.

I reached Jacob's garage faster than I had anticipated but, to my surprise, it was all shut up; the garage door was shut, the house was dark and the sign read "Closed". I pulled up at the end of the drive and ran up it, realising that I didn't have a jacket either. That was in my overnight bag from Grandpa's which was stuffed in my locker.

I banged on the door with my good arm, but to no avail. No-one was in. Instead, I decided to go to the beach. I didn't care that it was pouring with rain; I just wanted to sit and mope and wallow and be a teenager. The rain got heavier as I got closer to the beach; I didn't mind, the heavier the rain, the less likely someone was to notice me crying.

I pulled into the empty parking lot and climbed out of the car. In my anger, at now not only my Mom for treating me like an idiot, I was angry at Jacob for not being there. I let the tears fall freely as I walked along the beach.

I settled on mine and Jacob's tree. Climbing with one hand was hard, but I managed; I'd always been a good climber. I sat for a long time, until I heard a rustle in the bushes and glanced up from where I had been examining my hand. There, at the edge of the trees that lined the beach, was a wolf. Not just your average, run of the mill wolf either, but a huge, black one, probably as tall as me. It was so big it could have been a bear. I screamed loudly and fell backwards from the tree, hitting my head. I lay on the pebbles, ignoring the throbbing pain at the back of my skull, playing dead, waiting for the wolf to come and kill me. I lay there for a long time. No rabid wolf came for me. The cold waves lapped at my arm. The rain mingled with my tears and ran down my face. I wanted my Mom. I wanted Jake. I wanted someone to take care of me. Soon, I heard the crunching of someone walking over pebbles. I kept my eyes shut. I decided I didn't want anyone to see me after all. I'd get up eventually.

"Alice. You're all wet" I opened my eyes. Jacob stood beside me, looking taller than ever. He crouched down beside my head "What happened?" he asked, pushing my hair back from my face. I stopped crying when I saw him. He made me feel safe.

"I fell off the log and hit my head" I winced as he picked up my bandaged wrist and stroked the bandage on my head "I mean, how did you end up spread-eagled on the La Push beach?" He sounded amused at my unfortunate situation.

"I fainted at school, and I cut my head and hurt my wrist and then when I got home I had a major fight with my Mom and left my pain meds behind and came down here and fell of the tree" I was crying again

"Why did you fall off the tree?"

"I saw a really big wolf"

At that moment a huge wave crashed up the beach, soaking the both of us. "This is the worst day ever!" It was. Seeing supposed vampires, fainting, fighting with my Mom and now becoming more waterlogged than I had ever been in my life.

"C'mon, Alice. Can you walk?" Jake held out his hand

"It's OK. I think I'll stay here and mope a bit more"

"No. You won't" He scooped me up and held me to his chest as he walked across the beach to my car. He was so warm! I hadn't realised how cold I was, so I nestled closer, without trying to make it too obvious.

"Keys?" We had reached my car. With my good arm, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my keys.

"Thank you" Jake set me on the ground, with arm still around me, as he unlocked the passenger side of the car and helped me in. Ever the gentleman, he buckled me in, before moving around swiftly around to his side. We drove through the town quickly and I suddenly realised we were leaving the town "Hey! Where are you taking me?"

"Your Grandpa's. I'm sure he and your Mom will be worried"

"But I don't wanna go there!" I sounded like a spoilt toddler "Mom'll come and get me and I'm so mad at her, I don't think I can actually look at her right now"

Jacob pulled the car up at the side of the road "OK then. What do you want to do?

"Could I stay with you?" I realised how pushy I sounded so I added "Please?"

"Sure" he shrugged and turned the car around and we drove back to his house. As we pulled up, he was round by my door quickly and was helping me out of the car, holding me as though I was a fragile china doll. "Have you got any bags or anything?" He peered into the back of my car. "My bag's in my locker at school. I didn't have time to get it while I was unconscious" I smiled up at him apologetically.

"I can lend you something" Jacob wrapped one warm arm around my waist and led me to the house. He unlocked it with a key from his pocket.

He flicked on the lights as we entered; the house was lovely inside. For some reason I had expected rotten take out meals and empty beer bottles everywhere. The front door opened into the kitchen, which was clean and tidy, with the chairs all neatly tucked under the table. Through the serving hatch, I could see an orderly sitting room and stairs leading upstairs.

"I'll find you some dry clothes, you can take a shower and then I'll redo your bandages for you"

"Thanks"

"Stay right here" Jacob disappeared upstairs and I just stood there, taking in my surroundings. I thought about calling my Mom but then I changed my mind. Let her worry for a bit. It would serve her right.

"Here" I jumped and spun around. Jacob was standing behind me, holding out a plaid flannel shirt and some sweatpants "Hang all your wet clothes on the radiator in there" He gestured to a door behind me

"Thanks" I grabbed the clothes and hurried to the bathroom. I stripped off, hung my clothes on the radiator and took a long hot shower, trying to relax my rigid muscles. I gave up trying to keep my bandages dry, Jacob had said he was going to redo them anyway. When I finally got out the shower, I towelled myself and changed into Jacob's huge clothes; the shirt came down to my knees. I was glad my underwear was dry; I didn't want to have to borrow Jacob's. That would be too awkward. I rubbed some of the condensation off the mirror and looked at myself – I looked like a victim of domestic violence in the vast shirt with the deep cut along my hairline and down to my ear. My hand didn't look so good either – there was bruising along my knuckles and around my wrist.

When I opened the door I could smell something delicious.

"Nice outfit" Jacob was sitting on the couch, flipping through a magazine

"Thanks. What's cooking?"

"My special pasta. It'll be ready in about fifteen minutes. But right now you need to have your hand and your head re-done. Also, give me your shirt and jeans. They're covered in blood and I can wash them for you" I got the blouse and trousers from the bathroom radiator while he got a first aid kit out of a cupboard. He shoved the clothes into the washing machine and sat me down in a chair and then pulled one around to face me.

"I'll start with your hand" He examined the bruising and put pressure on each knuckle, trying to work out where it hurt "So" he said, wrapping gauze around my hand "What were you and your Mum fighting about?"

"You'll laugh"

"No, I won't. Tell me. It's healthy to share"

"OK, well, you know I asked you about Edward Cullen at the weekend?"

"Sure" He was concentrating on my hand

"God, this is gonna sound ridiculous but…I saw him at school today, looking the same as he did in the pictures I found. That's what made me faint" the anger in me flared up again, making me babble "he looked exactly the same as in the picture. When I was in the hospital, his Dad was my doctor and Mom panicked and left. When we got home, I challenged her about him and she said that he was a vampire and I was all you think I should believe you? And she was all yeah, I do and I was so mad I just ran out of there and I left my bag with everything in on the counter so I don't have any pain meds or anything and now my hand hurts and and….." I realised I was sobbing, huge heaving sobs. Jacob pulled me into his warm arms and rocked me back and forwards, calming me down.

"Ssh…ssh, Alice, It's OK. Listen, I think, no, I know, your Mom is telling the truth"

I was indignant, outraged. Jacob was choosing Mom over me! That was so adult! I pushed away from him, which was actually quite hard to do, he was pretty big. I stood up and walked away from him, folded my arms across my chest and stared out of the window "What is it with everyone? Vampires are real? No, they are not! For God's sake Jacob! I'm not a kid" I banged my good hand on the counter.

"Nor am I" How could he sit there so calmly, telling me such crap?

"Then how come you believe it?"

"Vampires aren't the only mythical creature that exist" Had Mom called him? Had the world gone completely insane?

"Oh yeah. What else exists then? Werewolves?"

"They definitely exist" He smiled, his whole face lighting up, clearly amused by my outburst.

"This isn't funny! You don't have proof they exist" I was bored of arguing, I'd done enough of it today, so I just played along istead

"I do" He was still smiling

"What proof is that, then?"

He stood up and stirred to sauce on stove, then turned to me and took a deep breath "I'm a werewolf"

"You're a werewolf. Right, OK. If you're a werewolf, I'm the Queen of Sheba"

He bowed "Your majesty" He chuckled "Why do you think I run at such a high temperature? I know you notice. I can see it in your face" And I thought I hid my surprise so well. When I said nothing, he continued "That wolf you saw? That was my friend Sam" I decided to see where this was going.

"Wait, wait, wait. So, if you're a werewolf, then Edward Cullen is a vampire?"

"Yup"

"Wow. That's a lot of information to get in thirty seconds" I clutched the table for support and then sat down. Jacob joined me, and got out some bandages for my head. "Hold still" He did it quickly and gently, tipping my head back when he was done, to make sure it would hold. Then he served up the food, draining the pasta, putting some in each bowl, dolloping sauce on top and then adding cheese. He placed a normal sized portion in front of me but he had a huge portion. He caught me looking "I need to eat a lot, werewolf thing" He said, and smiled. We sat in silence for a couple of minutes, eating and thinking.

"Why does he look the same?" He didn't need to ask who he is   
"Vampires don't age. Werewolves age, but very, very slowly. Why do you think I look about twenty?"

"Good point" We continued to eat. Jake finished his portion before me and went back for more, loading his plate up again.

"So… My Mom fell in love with a vampire? Do you think she knew?"

"Probably" He chewed for a few moments "Y'know, vampires and werewolves are mortal enemies, according to Quileute legend" He smirked "And personal experience"

"Really? I still don't believe you, y'know"

"I knew it! I could see it in your face! Fine. I'll prove it. Watch out of the window" He stood up and walked out of the door. I didn't get up, and go to the window, like he had said for me to do; I sat in the kitchen, thinking about what he had told me; what if it was true? What if vampires and werewolves really existed? I would need to call my Mom and apologise. I needed to call her anyway. I heard a whining and scratching noise on the door. What if Jacob was telling the truth? My world was starting to make less and less sense. I stood up and slowly crossed to the door, unhooking the latch and pulling it slowly open. There, in the pouring rain, sat a russet-brown wolf. He looked sort of familiar "Jacob?" I asked. The wolf's tongue hung out of the side and he moved his head up and down. I crouched down and very slowly reached out a hand to stroke his head. I'd always wanted a dog when I was little but Mom wouldn't let me have one, but now I did. We sat like that for a while, the rain soaking Jacob's tracksuit bottoms. Eventually, the wolf backed away, and ran off behind the house. I stood up and leaned against the door, surprising myself at how calmly I was talking the news that Jacob was a werewolf. The last news I'd had that was this big was that we were moving to Washington. When I'd found out I hadn't spoken to my Mom for two days and I had spent a lot of time at a lifeguard hut on the beach, very much like Marissa does in the OC, smoking with my friends. I only smoked when I was majorly stressed and right now, I really needed a cigarette. I contemplated my toes instead, looking at my chipped nail polish.

"You're all wet, Alice, go back in the house" Jacob appeared as if from nowhere. I stood up and my legs bucked underneath me. I hadn't realised how tired I was. Jacob caught me before I hit the ground. Suddenly hundreds of questions welled up inside me "Let's go and talk in the sitting room" Jacob said. We talked all evening. He told me Quiluete stories, and all about life as a werewolf. I told him everything about California, good and bad, and what I'd done there, good and bad.

I yawned and felt myself grow sleepy "I think you need to go to bed, Alice; you're in my room. I'll be right here if you need me. Promise me you'll talk to your Mom tomorrow?" I nodded and climbed up the stairs to Jacob's room. It was simple; there was a HUGE bed, a chest drawers and a desk with a computer and lots of folders on it. There was a window above the chest of drawers and I looked onto the drive and the road, feeling guilty about my Mom. I needed to call her.

"Jacob?" I called downstairs uncertainly "Do you have a phone I could call my Mom on?"

"Sure. It's on the desk, help yourself" I turned my attention to the desk; it was piled high with folders. I moved several and found the phone; it was quite old; it still had a cord on it. I dialled our number and crossed my fingers, praying my Mom wouldn't pick so I could just leave a message without having to go through the pain of talking to her "Hello?" Damn. She answered on the fifth ring

"Mom. It's Alice"

"Alice! Where are you baby? Are you OK?" She sounded relieved, not angry.

"I'm fine Mom. I'm at…….a friend's place" Because that's what Jacob was. My friend "I'll get a lift to school tomorrow and then I'll see you after school, OK?"

"No, Alice, it's not OK. I want to know where you are and who you are with. Now" Suddenly, she didn't sound so relieved.

I decided the truth would be the best option "Um…you remember Jacob Black? I'm at his house and I'm really tired so I'm gonna go to bed now. 'Night Mom! Love you!" I added cheerily before hanging up the phone.

I pulled off Jacob's huge tracksuit bottoms and climbed into the bed. I was too tired to feel guilty about worrying Mom.

I didn't remember falling asleep. One minute I was climbing into bed, the next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes to the sound of raised voices and banging noises. Actually one raised voice. I went slowly down the stairs, just in Jacob's shirt, which almost reached my knees. "Alice! Open the door" It was my Mom at the door. Great. I rolled my eyes at Jacob, who was looking at me, rubbing his eyes with one fist, propped up on his elbow. She was doing the over-protective, embarrassing parent routine.

I went into the kitchen and opened the door "Hey Mom!" I was actually quite pleased to see her.

Shock registered on her face before anger replaced it "Alice. What. The. Hell. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

Suddenly, not so pleased. I was back in sullen teenager mode "I had a fight with you and then I came here"

"How do you know Jacob?"

"We met over the weekend. I get on really well with him"

Jacob appeared from behind me "Hi Bella. How are you?"

"Hi Jacob" She said stiffly. Her eyes flicked from my bare legs poking out from underneath Jacob's shirt to Jacob, who was wearing just his boxers. "Alice, put your clothes on. We are leaving right now" She was practically growling

"Oh. Wait, Bella…you think….we….no…..no…NO" Jacob started to say. Suddenly I realised what Jacob was getting at. "Oh. Mom. Noooooo. Jacob and I didn't….."

Jacob intervened before World War three started on his doorstep "Bella, why don't you come in? I know Alice wants to talk you. I'm gonna go and take a shower" With that, he disappeared, out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. I moved out of the way and Mom came in and sat down at the kitchen table.

"What's this about Alice? I should be at work now" I couldn't stand my Mom being angry with me, or vice versa, she was my closest friend. Throughout middle school, she'd been the closest thing to a friend I'd had. When it came to high school, I reinvented myself. But that's a story for another time. "Well, Mom, I wanna apologise for the way I acted yesterday; it was wrong and insensitive of me. You told me what I wanted to know, and some of it was really hard for you to tell me. That wasn't fair of me. And I'm sorry. I hate it when we fight. I believe you too. About what you said, I mean"

"That's OK, hun" She pulled me onto her lap, and hugged me "I'm sorry for driving you away. I hate it when we fight too. But, you believe me? Since when?"

"Jacob told me some stories and told me that you were too honest for me to lie to you. I also think that because you never talk about him, you wouldn't lie about him. I'm right aren't I?" I was, I could tell by the look on her face. I wasn't about to tell her Jacob could turn into a werewolf, so I improvised.

"So….are you going to tell me why you're wearing Jacob's shirt or should I ask him?" She smiled, I was forgiven.

"Um, long story short, I got caught in the rain when I left the house and all my things were soaked through. Jacob loaned me his shirt to sleep in"

"And where did Jacob sleep?"

"On the sofa" I pointer through the serving hatch, where a mess of sheets and pillows sat on the sofa.

Mom and I just sat, I comfortable silence, until Jacob came out of the bathroom, dressed, with my dry clothes hanging over his arm. "Here you are" he said, as he came into the kitchen, handing them to me as he headed for the fridge. I took them and headed upstairs to change. Jacob's voice floated upstairs "You hungry, Bella?"

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What do you think?

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all. I own nothing

xxxx


	12. September 20th and 21st Bella's POV

Finally, an update!  
I don't know how good this one will be though. There might be some errors because I have A Level launch tomorrrow and my birthday the day after, then I'm going out with friends and then it's my party so if I don't update now I would have to leave you hanging for another week and that's not fair!

Review please. I'm almost at 100!

Hope you enjoy reading it and all rights are, as always, copyright to the genius that is Stephenie Meyer.

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Bella's POV

"Alice!" I yelled "Alice! Come back!" She couldn't hear me. She had turned the corner and was out of sight. I stood there, in the middle of the road. I didn't hear the car come up behind me, until it tooted its horn at me. The boy driving it looked about Alice's age and as I moved back to the sidewalk he gave me a weird look. I suddenly realised it was raining and I was getting pretty wet.

I decide to try Alice's cell, to apologise. Despite the relief I felt at having told her the truth, I wanted my daughter back more. I went into the kitchen and picked up the phone. I dialled her number and then the bag that she carried everywhere with her began to vibrate. I opened up one of the side pockets and there was her cell phone, still coated in the pink vinyl she'd put on when she had gotten bored one rainy day during the summer. I sighed and hung up the phone. I missed Alice, although she hadn't been gone long at all. Without her, my life was nothing. I decide to give her a couple of hours. She used to do this when we lived in California; she would go for a drive, play some loud music and vent her anger. I decided not to worry; she was a sensible girl, she thought most things through before she did them. Instead, I occupied myself with cleaning the house; that always took my mind off things.

I started in the kitchen and mopped up the spilt hot chocolate. I vacuumed the sitting room and went upstairs to strip the sheets on our beds. I went into my room first and grabbed the sheets from where I'd thrown them on the floor before my buisness trip. I threw them down the stairs and opened the door to Alice's room.

How she managed to make her room so messy amazed me. I pulled the sheets off her bed and look around the room. There were still traces of my little girl, like the dolls house in the corner, hidden under one of the many silk scarves she had flung around her room – over lamps, hanging over the mirror above her dresser, around her dresser and on the back of the door. I reached down and turned off the fairy lights that she had threaded through the gaps in her headboard. She'd left them on and there would be a huge bill .She knew to turn them off. I pressed my nose into Alice's sheets, they smelt just like the perfume she'd started using last year. The scent was jasmine and clematis and rose. The purple bottle sat on top of the dresser, almost empty. I had forgotten to get her a refill at the airport and I felt guilty, because she'd given me the money towards it. I glanced at her desk, which was piled high with junk, including a couple of my tops and her teddy bear that Mom bought her when she was born. I snatched up my tops and headed downstairs. I put everything in the wash and mopped the whole of downstairs.

I was beginning to get worried about her now, so I called Charlie. His machine answered.

"Hey Dad, its Bella. Give me a call as soon as you can. It's important"

The phone rang about ten minutes later, as I stood in the kitchen, looking at one of the pictures of Edward and me.

"Hello?"

"Hi Bella, what's up hun? You sounded kinda panicked on the phone"

"Alice got mad at me and took off. I presumed she'd come to you. Is she there?"

"No, sorry. I'll get her to call if she turns up here, but you know what she's like. She'll drive around for a bit, make you sweat, and come home safe and sound"

I sighed "I guess you're right"

"What did you two fight about anyway?"

"Oh, um, she asked me about Edward Cullen" I found it easier to say his name now that I had told Alice about him "She got mad at me and took off"

"She'll come back though"

"I know, but we just came back from the hospital-"

"Why? What happened?"

"Alice fell down some stairs at school and got knocked out. She doesn't have her phone or her pain meds or even her ipod with her"

"She'll come back, don't worry, Bella. If she's not, call me again and I can send out some guys to look for her" Charlie was always so calm

"Thanks, Dad" There was a knock at the door "I've got to go; there's someone at the door"

"Ok, Bells. Call me when that granddaughter of mine gets home"

"Bye, Dad" I hung up and walked to the hall, and pulled open the door, glancing back to the kitchen, where the phone had started ringing again.

"Hullo, Bella" There he stood. Youthful as ever, his hair and clothes were completely drenched. His eyes were topaz and his bronze coloured hair was tousled and rain droplets caught on the strands seemed to glisten. Time had not changed his godlike appearance and it had not made me immune to it either. I clutched the door handle, to support myself and I felt my heart race speed up and I knew he would here it. He could obviously see the blush spreading across my face. What was he doing here? He didn't love me; he told me that himself. But he was here. He was the reason my daughter was missing right now. But I loved him, as much as I didn't want to admit it, I did. I still wanted him to change me, if he loved too, but he didn't love, so that was a vain wish.

"May I come in?" I realised I had been standing there, staring at him, not saying anything

"Um, yes, of course" I said shakily. The phone had stopped ringing now.

"Bella, I would like to talk to you, if you don't mind"

"Um, that's fine" Why did I have to keep saying um? I'm not verbose but this was getting ridiculous "Come into the living room"

I led the way. The living room was small, with a loveseat, a TV (not that I watched it), a coffee table and pictures of Alice decorating the walls. My favourite picture was hung in the centre of the wall opposite the door; it was the first thing you saw when you came into the room. It featured my Mom, Alice and I, when Alice was eleven and Mom had come to see us in California. It was before Alice had cut her hair short, and at the time it was longer than mine had ever been. Mom's was spiky and the three of us were laughing and, although we had been looking towards the camera, none of us were really focused on it. I had been as happy as I could have been in California, but coming back up to Washington reminded me of why I left.

While I sat down on the sofa, moving as far to the side as possible, Edward looked at the picture. He sat down on the sofa too, there was no-where else to sit, and looked at me.

"Bella" He began "I need to tell you something" When I didn't say anything, he carried on "When I left you, I…I" He struggled with the words "I lied to you. I….I never stopped loving you. I've always loved you and I always will. I'd do anything for you. I needed to see you before I left again, I know I am being selfish but I couldn't stand not seeing you, in person" I sat there in shock. He loved me. He hadn't stopped. He'd lied, but why?

I found my voice, but I wasn't saying what I wanted to be saying "But, why? Why did you lie?"

"Because, I was being selfish, keeping you to myself. You could never live a normal life with me. You would have grown old and I would have stayed the same and you wouldn't have been able to have the human experiences you deserved. You deserved a chance at a normal human life"

"Edward, when you left…" I took a deep breath; he needed to know the truth "I stopped functioning. Renee had to come and get me. I moved to Florida to get away from the memory of you. You left me without the ability to have a normal life" I hesitated

"Bella. You got married. You have a daughter. That has to be some kind of human experience"

"Edward. I'm not married" I held up my left hand. He looked shocked at the lack of rings. I decided to tell him the story "I was walking home from school, I hadn't taken my truck to Florida and Renee hadn't sorted out a car for me. A boy who I recognised from school pulled up and offered me a lift. I accepted and….and "I could feel the tears begin to fall down my cheeks. Abruptly, Edward's arms were around me, his face pressed into my hair. I could smell his delicious smell, confusing my thoughts. I continued, Edward's presence giving me the strength to carry on "and….he raped me. I got pregnant and I didn't realise until it was too late to abort the baby, not that I would have done that anyway. That baby was Alice" I sighed. I had never told anyone that before. It seemed like so much had been lifted from me today and now I was floating happily, with nothing holding me down.

"I'm so sorry, Bella"

"I'm not. If that had happened, I wouldn't have Alice" He looked at me and sighed. Neither of us moved for a long time.

"When I left, Bella, I stopped functioning too. I spent three years in an attic in South America before Emmett tracked me down and dragged me back. I never stopped loving you. I still do. I love you Bella" He loved me! This god, immortal at seventeen, still loved me! I knew I was dreaming and that I could wake up at any moment, so took advantage of my dream while he was here.

I turned to look at him, his topaz eyes gazing into mine "I love you too" He moved his head forward, his lips gently brushing mine. Without warning, my world went black

"Bella! Bella!" His voice was musical and very near. I opened my eyes. I was lying on the sofa and Edward was standing over me.

"What happened?" I was dazed

"You fainted, Bella. It seems to run in the family" He smirked. It was then that I remembered someone very important.

"Oh my God! Alice!" Suddenly everything became very clear. I sat up too fast, giving myself a head rush.

"What's wrong?" He cried

"Alice took off. She's not at Charlie's and I don't know where she is" I was crying again

"Don't cry, please" His golden eyes sparkled "She'll be fine. I'll send the others out to look for her" H pulled a tiny silver cell phone from his pocket and dialled, and then talked into it, too fast for me to understand. He snapped it shut and turned to me. "They'll find her, Bella, but I need to ask you something" He got down on one knee "Edward" I breathed

"Bella, I let you go once, and I don't ever want to lose you again. Isabella, will you marry me?" I sat there, shocked. I knew what I wanted to say. I wanted to yell "yes!" at the top of my lungs and I wanted a big wedding and I wanted him change me, like I always had. But, I couldn't

"Edward, I want to marry you but…" I hesitated

"But, what?" His face was crestfallen

"But I have a daughter, and although she knows-"

"She knows?"

"It might have slipped out"

"She knows? When did she find out? How long has she known?"

"I told her today, that's why she took off; she didn't believe me" I felt guilty about telling her now; it wasn't my secret to tell "I'm sorry I told her, it wasn't my secret to tell"

"I don't mind. You need to be honest with your family" He smiled my favourite crooked smile "and before I interrupted you, you were giving me an answer"

"I want to marry you Edward, but I have to find my daughter first"

"We'll find her then. And I will wait for your answer" He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me onto his lap. I put my hands around his neck and he kissed my neck, and I ran my fingers through his hair, kissing him back. He was not a reserved as he had been before. The phone rang, interrupting us.

"Ignore it" he murmured as I tried to pull away

"I can't" I stood up "It might be Alice" He let me go, and I ran to the phone, catching it on the fifth ring "Hello?"

"Mom. It's Alice"

"Alice! Where are you baby? Are you OK?" I was so relieved just to hear her voice. I had been so worried.

"I'm fine Mom. I'm at" She hesitated "a friend's place"

"I'll get a lift to school tomorrow and then I'll see you after school, OK?" Suddenly I wasn't so reassured. She had taken off, without telling me, she could be anywhere. I was angry now.

"No, Alice, it's not OK. I want to know where you are and who you are with. Now" I was not happy.

"Um…you remember Jacob Black? I'm at his house and I'm really tired so I'm gonna go to bed now. 'Night Mom! Love you!" She hung up on me! She was at Jacob Black's! Jacob, who I hadn't seen since I was seventeen! How did she know him? How could they have met? I stood there in a daze.

"Bella?" Edward stood beside me "Are you alright?"

"No, not really"

"What's wrong?" His voice was full of concern. He took me gently by the elbows and led me to one of the chairs that sat around the table.

"It's Alice….She's at Jacob Black's"

"Jacob Black? The boy who you tricked into telling stories about vampires?" He smiled his crooked smile "Emmett just called. Her trail continued over the Quiluete boundary. They couldn't go over, obviously"

"I need to call Charlie. He'll give me Jacob's address and I can go and get Alice" I sounded very determined, and I surprised myself.

"Why?"

"He's our age!" I saw the look on his face "OK, my age, then" I picked the phone up from where I had absently placed it on the table. I dialled Charlie number "Hey, Bells! Find your daughter?

"Yeah, she's at Jacob Black's place. How does she know him?"

"We went over to Billy's on Sunday night, he cooked us a meal and Jacob and Alice went down to the beach. She'd been a bit down since she found the pictures but talking with him cheered her up"

"Can you give me his address? I need to pick her up in the morning"

"Sure" Edward produced a pen and a notepad from somewhere and I scrawled Jacob's address down "Bye, Dad"

"Bye Bells, don't worry about her, she'll be fine. Jake's a nice kid" But I was worrying. I was worried about my little girl.

"Don't worry Bella, she'll be fine" How did he know what I was thinking? He could read my mind all of a sudden? "No, I can't read your mind Bella, I just know you too well. It's late, you should go to bed" I hadn't realised how tired I was.

"Will you stay?"

"Only if you want me to"

"I do" I led the way upstairs, grabbing my pyjamas from the airing cupboard. It was only when I looked in the mirror when I cleaned my teeth that I realised they were Alice's. They were white, with a basic shirt and shorts and I'd bought them for her as a present one birthday, but they weren't her kind of pyjamas. She was more of a baggy pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt kinda girl.

When I got back to my bedroom, Edward was looking at the pictures I had on the wall opposite my bed. There were sixteen of them, one taken on each of her birthdays. "She looks just like you" He turned to me and smiled. I smiled in response, and then I yawned. I was used to feeling tired but I hadn't felt this happy and light in a long time. I wanted to stay up all night, talking to Edward like before but I had had nightmares the night before and I knew my face must be pale, even paler than usual, with exhaustion. Edward was flipping through a photo album I kept by my bed. He sat down on the bed, in a very human way, as though his knees had given way. I climbed onto the bed next to him and I peered over his shoulder. He was looking at yet another picture of Alice and I. She was very young in this picture, only a couple of days old. Charlie was holding her and we were both smiling down on her, the sun streaming in from the window behind her. I looked at this album every night so I climbed off the bed, took out my contact lenses, grabbed some work, put my glasses on and climbed into bed and began to flip through the articles, highlighting errors and scrawling what should be changed. It was a while before I realised Edward was watching me.

"What?"

"You've changed so much, I've missed out on so much"

"I haven't changed much, I still look the same"

"You look as though you haven't aged, you still smell delicious" He lifted my wrist and sniffed it, inhaling my scent "But you wear contact lenses, I feel like such an idiot not noticing. When did you get them? And you have a job! What do you do?" He was like a child, eager and brimming with curiosity.

"I started wearing lenses about six years ago and I work for a big company and at the moment I am the editor of our quarterly magazine and I haven't finished editing it" I yawned again

"Bella, you are exhausted, go to sleep" He was back to sounding like an adult.

"But I have so much work to finish"

"Just go to sleep" He pulled the papers and pens from my hands, and wrapped his arm around me. It felt so comfortable, so familiar, as though he had never been away. He began to hum, and I instantly recognised my lullaby. Sleep began to wash over me in great waves.

The next morning, I woke early, to find my room empty. There was a stack of papers piled neatly beside my bed, with a post-it note on top of them. The note, written in my handwriting, said:

"_I hope this helps. I love you. I'm downstairs_"

I climbed out of bed, put my contact lenses in (maybe it was vanity but I couldn't bear to wear my glasses out, but especially in front of Edward), brushed my hair and got dressed, not focusing, trying to calm the excitement that bubbled inside me, that Edward was here in my house, and that he loved me.

I didn't realise how early it was until I arrived in the hall; the sun hadn't risen yet. "Hello" Edward's beautiful voice drifted from the kitchen.

"What time is it?"

He walked around the door "Eight-thirty"

"Oh! Has the sun risen?"

"Yes, it is a beautiful cloudy day"

"Good" I remembered why I was awake so early "I'm going to get Alice. I'll be back soon" Before he could say another word, I ran out of the house. Now that I had remembered my daughter, I was worried about her. I also didn't need his scent confusing me when I was about to drive.

I drove to the reservation, thinking of Edward all the way. We could get married. He had asked me. He was going to wait until I had consulted Alice. If she didn't want me to, I wouldn't. She was my daughter; she deserved to have a choice in her stepfather.

I pulled up to the house; my thoughts had become mutinous as I entered La Push. Why the hell had she gone to Jacob's? She was sixteen, he was, what, thirty? Why hadn't she gone to one of her friend's houses?

I ran up the drive and banged on the door. After a couple of minutes of banging, the door opened.

"Hey Mom!" Alice open the door and looked remarkably pleased to see me. I was pleased to see her, but not what she was wearing. She was wearing what appeared to be a man's shirt, with her bare legs poking out from underneath. I was horrified, then angry. My suspicions had been right.

"Alice. What. The. Hell. Are. You. Doing. Here?" I was not a happy mother

Cue moody teenager mode "I had a fight with you and then I came here"

"How do you know Jacob?" I wasn't sure about Charlie's theory

"We met over the weekend. I get on really well with him" She seemed to be enjoying taunting me.

Jacob appeared from behind her "Hi Bella. How are you?"

"Hi Jacob" I tried to make it sound polite but I didn't do a very good job. Jacob appeared to be wearing just his boxers. I wanted to get out of here, right now, and back to Edward "Alice, put your clothes on. We are leaving right now" I was practically growling.

"Oh. Wait, Bella…you think….we….no…..no…NO" Jacob started to say. Suddenly Alice realised what Jacob was getting at. "Oh. Mom. Noooooo. Jacob and I didn't….." They seemed genuinely shocked and embarrassed.

Jacob intervened before World War three started on his doorstep "Bella, why don't you come in? I know Alice wants to talk you. I'm gonna go and take a shower" With that, he disappeared, out of the kitchen. Alice moved out of my way and I went and sat on one of the kitchen chairs. I was less angry with her now. I couldn't stand being angry with her, or vice versa, she was my closest friend.

"What's this about Alice? I should be at work now" That was a lie, I wanted to get back to Edward

"Well, Mom, I wanna apologise for the way I acted yesterday; it was wrong and insensitive of me. You told me what I wanted to know, and some of it was really hard for you to tell me. That wasn't fair of me. And I'm sorry. I hate it when we fight. I believe you too. About what you said, I mean"

"That's OK, hun" I pulled my baby girl (because that was is what she still is to me) onto my lap, and hugged her

"I'm sorry for driving you away. I hate it when we fight too. But, you believe me? Since when?" This would be interesting.

"Jacob told me some stories and told me that you were too honest for me to lie to you. I also think that because you never talk about him, you wouldn't lie about him. I'm right aren't I?" She believed me? Maybe she would accept Edward as a stepfather! My heart soared. There was just one question I wanted answering.

"So….are you going to tell me why you're wearing Jacob's shirt or should I ask him?" I smiled at her

"Um, long story short, I got caught in the rain when I left the house and all my things were soaked through. Jacob loaned me his shirt to sleep in"

"And where did Jacob sleep?"

"On the sofa" She pointed through the serving hatch, where a mess of sheets and pillows sat on the sofa.

My daughter and I just sat, in comfortable silence, until Jacob came out of the bathroom, dressed, with what looked like some old clothes of mine hanging over his arm. "Here you are" he said, as he came into the kitchen, handing them to Alice as he headed for the fridge. She took them and headed upstairs to change. "You hungry, Bella?" I didn't want to be rude, but really wanted to get back to Edward

"I'm fine thanks, Jacob. You don't mind if Alice and I take off do you? It's just I have a lot of work and I need to get Alice to school"

"That's fine"

"I'm back!" Alice appeared at the kitchen door. They were definitely my old clothes, things I would have worn in the noughties, when I had first met Edward.

"Grab your stuff. Let's go. I need to get to work and you need to get to school. Don't look at me like that" I said as she made puppy dog eyes at me. After another couple of minutes and we were off, heading back home to Edward.

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What did you think? Review!

As an incentive to review, answer these questions: What perfume does Alice use? I know, it's mine AND who persuaded Edward to go and see Bella? And why? I know the answer to that one too!

The next chapter will be up ASAP

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	13. September 27th  Jacob's POV

Over 100 reviews! Thanks so much :)

As for the little questions: Alice's perfume is Stella by Stella McCartney (my perfume fyi, its smells delicious) and who told Edward to go and see Bella? You'll have to wait for another chapter...

Apologies that this chapter is short, I am sooo exhausted because of all my stupid art coursework.

I will try not to repeat conversations as much, now, unless they are uber-important

xxxx

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My cell phone rang on the counter top beside me. It had been ringing a lot today, but this had the same ominous tone to it as the first call of the day.

The first call of the day had been from my Dad, who had called me to tell me that Charlie Swan had collapsed this morning, while collecting his mail. The paper boy had called 911 but Charlie had died on the sidewalk. Ever since then, I'd had calls from neighbours and relatives (i.e my sisters), offering their condolences. I had tried to call Alice but she hadn't answered her cell. I hadn't seen Alice for a week; in her lone, one line email she had said she was grounded, and to her horror, her Mom was marrying the "filthy bloodsucker" (her words not mine), that had left her before. This left me wondering if the leech would change Bella to be like him.

It was strange to think that Charlie wasn't around now; he wouldn't call up trying to convince me to go fishing every Sunday morning (I'd even conceded once or twice). I realised I no longer had a buddy to watch the game with. Dad had called intermittently throughout the day, checking that I wasn't missing Charlie too much yet; I had got quite close to him over the last few years. I had become a sort of replacement Harry Clearwater to him and Dad.

I checked the caller ID (Dad again), flipped open the phone and tucked it between my head and my shoulder as I wiped the oil of my best wrench. "What's up, Dad?"

"I've just had some more bad news. You should be sitting down for this" Straight to the point.

"OK, now I'm worried, what's happened?" I leant on the bonnet of the car I had been working on.

"I went down to the morgue, 'cos they needed someone to identify the body and they couldn't get hold of Bella, so they called me. When I came out, via the emergency room, some ambulances had arrived"

"Why didn't you get me to give you a lift down?"

"Sue was visiting Leah, so she offered to take me"

"Oh"

"So, anyway, I came out of the entrance and these ambulances pulled up. Dr. Fang and his assistants were there, one of them looked pretty upset" Assistants is Dad's codeword for the other Cullens "They were carrying as couple of stretchers; Alice was on one, she was unconscious, and-" His voice cracked "The other one was covered with a sheet. I'm sorry Jacob. It was Bella" The wrench fell out of my grasp and clattered to the floor. I gripped the bonnet of the car with both hands, silent. In one day, Alice had lost her whole family; her grandfather and her Mom.

"Where's Alice now?"

"She's in the hospital, I suppose, probably still unconscious. She didn't look good; there was a huge cut on her face and a lot of blood. I'm surprised Dr. Fang and his assistants could cope. Why do you wanna know?" I hung up, not wanting to answer his question, and stood in the middle of my garage. Without thinking about it, I hurled my phone against the wall, where it smashed into hundreds of tiny pieces, grabbed the keys to my car from the hook on the wall, and drove down the drive and out of Forks to the hospital.

"I'm here to see Alice Swan, I mean, Dwyer" I said once I had reached the hospital, illegally parked my car, and run in to the front desk. The blonde girl at reception looked bored as she typed Alice's name into the computer. Her tag read "Lucy".

"She's in Pacific Ward, through there" She jabbed a long, red, manicured nail towards a set of double doors. I headed through the doors, and followed the corridor round, looking in each room, to see if I could find her. In the last room, at the very end of the corridor, was a sign in neat handwriting "Alice Dwyer". I gently pushed open the door. Lying on top of the sheets was Alice. There was cut along her hairline, and the blood had run down one side of her face and matted in her hair. Her clothes, especially the left side, were soaked in blood too. Her shoes, covered in mud, were still on her feet and were staining the pristine white sheet. They were Converse All Stars and they looked pretty uncomfortable so I unlaced them, pulled them off and put them on the floor. Alice's eyes were closed, and if I didn't know better, she could have been sleeping. She looked beautiful, even covered in blood. I picked up her hand and examined the bandaging where it was coming loose.

"I was about to do that" A young nurse, she only looked about twenty, stood in the doorway. I hadn't heard her approach. She smiled at me, a sad, melancholy smile, crossed the room and checked the chart that hung on the end of her bed "I don't want to seem rude, but what relation are you to this girl?" She glanced at me before returning her gaze to the chart, flipping through the pages.

Think fast, Jacob "I'm her, um, godfather" I lied. I glanced down at Alice, realising I was still holding her hand, rubbing the bandages across her knuckles with my thumb "What happened to her?"

"There was an accident. Her Mom was driving the car when, according to a witness, a deer ran across the road. Her Mom swerved to avoid it, drove across the road and hit a tree. Her side of the car was completely crushed; she was still alive when the ambulance arrived but they couldn't save her" She galnced at me. It seemed to me this girl liked to gossip. I nodded at her to carry on, and she did "Dr. Cullen's never lost a patient before. He had his sons out with him, one of them; he's only seventeen, never seen blood before, was pretty torn up. Are you OK?" I hadn't realised it, but tears were slowly and silently pouring down my face. Alice was alone. They wouldn't let her stay with me, her grandfather was dead, she didn't have any idea where her father was. I remembered what Charlie had said when we were, for some reason I couldn't remember, talking about wills.

"_Bella says that if anything happens to her, I'm to take Alice, but what happens to Alice if something happened to me? I was talking to Bella about it a couple of weeks ago but I can't remember what she said" Charlie didn't like the word "die"._

"_I don't know, would they find her Dad or something?"_

_"Not likely. Bella hasn't seen him, since, y'know. I know what would happen; she would go to her gomother, Miranda. Miranda lives in Venice Beach, so Alice would be in California, and she's always been happy there"_

"Sir?"

"Um, yes, I'll be OK in a couple of minutes. Is it OK if I stay with her?"

"Sure, the doctor will be in soon, he just wanted to make sure his son was home OK"

The nurse left, shutting the door behind her and I just sat by Alice's bed, watching her, and the monitors that the doctor, who had arrived ten minutes later (it wasn't Dr. Fang), had hooked her up to. I must have fallen asleep, with my head on her outstretched, bloddstained legs, because I felt them move beneath me, which woke me up. I glanced up, sat up and watched her slowly open her eyes. She didn't notice me, until she reached up to pull the tubes away from her face, and I stopped her.

"Where am I, Jake?" She whispered, her eyes wide and scared. She galnced around the room before her eyes rested on my face.

"Hospital" I whispered back because it felt like a whispered conversation.

"Why?"

I decided honesty was the best policy "There was an accident"

"What sort of accident?" For someone who had just woken up from unconsciousness, she was pretty lucid.

"A car accident" I sighed

"Is my Mom OK?"

I didn't know how to tell her this "Um, well the thing is, Alice-"

She interrupted me"She's dead, isn't she? Don't lie to me"

"Yes, Alice, I'm so sorry, I really am" She burst into tears and I wrapped my arms around her. She felt like a tiny shaking twig in my arms. Her shoulders heaved up and down, her tears soaking my shirt, not that I minded. I don't know how long she cried for. She stopped crying, but she stayed in my arms. By this time, I had pulled her onto my lap and she sat there with her arms around my neck, her face pressed into my shoulder. Her breathing steadied and slowed. It took me a while to realise she had cried, no, not cried, sobbed, herself to sleep. I was lying her back on the pillows when a disgusting smell floated through the doorway. I turned to see Doctor Fang standing in the doorway, watching me.

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	14. September 20th and 27th Edward's POV

Thank you for all the reviews!

I couldn't just leave you hanging, so here's another chapter; it's short though; sorry!

I don't understand the mechanics of a car crash, having never been in one, so this is all done from imagination.

Don't hate me, I don't think I ruined the story.

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Rosalie was waiting for me in my room when I returned from dropping off Alice's car at her house. The secretary had seemed grateful that someone would do and that it wasn't being left in the parking lot overnight.

"What do you want, Rosalie?" In her mind, she was going through the contents of her and Alice's wardrobes, creating outfits. I blocked it out. I was annoyed, I didn't know what she wanted to say ,and I didn't like not knowing.

"My darling brother, so polite. I want to talk to you" I didn't say anything, just stood in the middle of my room and stared at her, sitting on my sofa, so she continued "I want to talk to you about Bella"

"Why?" She was still going through outfits, I had no idea what she was going to say about Bella. I didn't want to talk about Bella, it hurt too much.

"Edward, you are miserable. You have been ever since we left Forks. The family has tried it your way, and we have never really recovered from leaving. When you weren't around, Carlisle withdrew to his study, Emmett wouldn't laugh and Alice and Esme just drifted around the house. Alice didn't shop for two months! And imagine what it was like for Jasper, having to feel all of our emotions!"

"And what about you?"

"I missed you too" She looked down and ran her fingers through her hair, seeming embarrassed about her confession "There was no-one beside me when I messed around with the cars" She stopped for a minute and looked at me "Edward, Bella was the best thing that ever happened to you. You were a completely different Edward when you were with her"

"Can you get to the point, Rosalie?"

"Fine, fine" she grumbled, tossing her mane of hair behind her shoulder "I didn't want to be what we are, but I've dealt with it. It's been a whole lot better when I found Emmett. You know what I was like before that; miserable, reliving my human past" I did know, I had heard her every thought she had had during the pre-Emmett period "Edward, it doesn't matter if Bella has a husband, and a kid. Go and tell her how you feel. She stills loves you, I know it. Go and get your Emmett" I smiled at that. I was amzed. I hadn't smiled involuntarily in a long time. "If she throws you out, then you tried" She added "I know I wasn't fond of her but I prefer you when you are with her than you when you are without her. I hope you make the right decision" With that, she left the room in one fluid movement.

I sat down on my sofa. I was convinced. In that one conversation, Rosalie, who could never persuade me to do anything, had persuaded me to do something the rest of my family had been trying to do for years. I didn't care anymore that Bella was married with a kid; I wanted to see her. To talk to her. If her husband answered the door, I would be a concerned friend of their daughter.

"Just one question" Rosalie's head appeared around the door frame. I looked up at her "Would you change her, if she asked you to?"

"Yes, yes I would"

"I thought so" With that, she disappeared down to the garage, to play around with Jasper's new Ferrari.

I ran to the house. I wanted to be able to move away as fast as possible if Bella turned me down, so didn't want to be tied down with my car, now old and slow, despite Rosalie's modifications. I stood in front of the door for a moment, listening and taking in the environment. I could hear only one, very familiar heartbeat inside; there were no thoughts. I could only smell one person's, intoxicating and delicious blood. Bella was alone. I noted with interest that the car I had dropped off just hours before had disappeared.

I knocked on the door, and heard the end of Bella's phone conversation with her father. The door swung open, and there she stood, the woman of my dreams. "Hullo, Bella" I said. She clutched the door handle, to support herself it seemed, and I heard her heartbeat speed up. I watched that lovely blush spread across her face.

"May I come in?" I realised she wouldn't say anything until I did

"Um, yes, of course" She said, sounding shaken

"Bella, I would like to talk to you, if you don't mind"

"Having lived over one hundred years on this Earth, I can safely say that the night I found out you weren't married was the best night of my life" Bella glanced up at me from where she lay in my arms.

"I agree" She smiled up at me and stretched her arm out so that her engagement ring caught the light and sparkled. The last few days had been bliss, or the nights had. I spent my days at school, and the nights with Bella. I would sit with Bella, and Alice, while they ate. Alice was disgusted, with her mother and me, but she didn't show it. She just thought it. She was cross when she found out I could read minds and knew everything she was thinking.

Alice was just like her mother, self-sacrificing. She didn't like me, but if Bella was happy, she was happy "Please don't mention what I think to her" She begged. I promised, and we came to an agreement, I would tutor her at Chemistry, or any other subject she struggled in, until Bella got home, then they would eat, I would join them, and Alice would retire to her room. Bella brought her work home with her and I helped her go through it, before we would go up to her room. It was just like old times; I instilled the old rules and Bella tried to break them. I had a hard time saying "no". Bella and I were not allowed to kiss, hold hands or do anything "lovey dovey" in front of Alice, according to our agreement.

Under the pretence of being like our classmates, Alice and I were doing work experience with Carlisle. There were so many doctors in the hospital that Carlisle had signed himself up to help the paramedics, so, for the next week, Alice and I were "assistant paramedics". Bella's daughter had yet to meet the rest of the family; she was conveniently asleep when they came round to meet her and see my fiancee. She had met her namesake, and they seemed to get on pretty well. When I asked her about not meeting the rest of the family, she said "One step at a time". Alice also refused to come to the hospital; she would be making coffee in Bella's office.

Our first call was a prank, and Carlisle channelled what Alice called his "scary vampire", when we caught the kid who called us out. Our second call was a serious one. A car accident had occurred in the forest near to Forks. I could smell the blood as soon as I got out of the ambulance, and I stopped dead still "It's Bella" I muttered, so that only Alice and Carlisle could hear me. The other paramedic was new, this was her second week on the job, and she hadn't seen anything like this before. I could hear it in her thoughts. "So much blood...I think I might be sick..."

"Call Esme and get her to bring the car" I muttered again. Alice whipped her phone out of the pocket of our luminous uniform and called Esme while Carlisle and I approached the wreck. From where I stood, I could see an unconsious Alice, which would explain the lack of thoughts from her and Bella, beautiful, perfect, Bella who was bleeding profusely from a head wound and cuts all over body. Alice had a cut on her head as well. I would have rushed to Bella's side, if it wasn't for the other paramedic. She was growing paler and paler. I glanced at Carlisle, who nodded at me.

"C'mon" I offered her my arm and took her around the far side of the ambulance. "You stay here" I ordered. She nodded "I'll help Carlisle. When you feel OK, set up a road block so that cars can only get through on one side" She nodded and I ran, as fast as I could without seeming inhuman, to Bella's side of the car. I could only just reach her; her side of the car had ploughed into a tree and there was blood everywhere; her blood, it poured from her face, arms and legs. I ignored the intoxicating smell as I set about removing her from the car. Carlisle and Alice dealt with Alice, I dealt with Bella, and I could hear her pulse slowing. I hated myself, for keeping up our human pretence, but as fast as I could, I ran and grabbed the crow bar from the ambulance. I shoved it on the ground beside me and pulled off Bella's door with my hands. On the other side of the car, Carlisle had put Alice on a stretcher and was loading her into the ambulance.

"Edward" Carlisle was crouched down beside me, and Alice brought a stretcher round "She's dying, you can hear her heartbeat. Bite her sooner, rather than later, or she dies. Alice will go on the stretcher as Bella and Esme will take you back you and Bella back to the house" I nodded and continued to pull Bella from the car.

Esme's Lexus pulled up at the side of the road. I carefully unbuckled Bella and with Emmett and Rosalie's help, we loaded her into the back of the car without the other paramedic seeing. As we drove off, I heard her call to Carlisle as she began to set up the road block "Who was that?" I just caught his reply as we sped out of sight "A worried family. I told them to keep going"

I rested Bella's head on my lap and after about two minute in the car, her eyes fluttered open "Edward" She breathed, her brown eys filling with tears

"I'm here" I whispered, holding my jumper to her head to stop the bleeding "I'm right here, just hold on"

"Edward" she struggled for breath "I'm dying. Please, bite me. Now"

"Edward. Do it"

"I can't go any faster. She won't make it otherwise" Emmett said from the front; Esme and Rosalie were squashed together in the passenger seat. I didn't want to bite her, but I had to, otherwise I would lose her forever.

"I love you" I murmured, bringing her wrist to my mouth, and slowly, relishing the taste of the drying blood on her skin, I bit her.

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Another cliffhanger!

Well, you know some of what happens now...so review! Please?

The more reviews I get, the faster I will update! I have a free weekend, so I might even be able to get two chapters done...

In my original draft, there was never a car crash...the ending was very different...

Review please!

xxxx


	15. July 25th Bella's POV

She's alive, folks!

I couldn't leave you hanging like that

So...enjoy

and review please

xxxxx

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"Bella?" We spun around. Standing in front of me was a familiar looking guy who I thought I might have gone to Forks high school with. "It's me, Mike?" I was in a mall in Seattle, holding Alice's (and my) bags, while she went to get my birthday present. Why she needed to get it in July I didn't know. Ever since Edward had changed after the crash, I had discovered that having an infinite amount of time on your hands, meant you want to shop; just as something to do. Edward and I couldn't have sex all the time. We needed to hunt, and to keep Alice's cravings for shopping controlled. Edward and Alice were pleased that I had so quickly been able to overcome my craving for human blood. Jasper had been disappointed; he'd lost the bet and Emmett had got a brand new Jeep.

"Hey, Mike. How are you?"

"I'm great thanks. Wow, you look incredible – you've barely aged since I last saw you. How are you anyway?"

"Thanks. I had surgery" I whispered. This was a line Rosalie had given me, to use when we bumped into high school peers "I'm fine thanks" I added

"Do you want to get a coffee or something?" Mike, ever hopeful

"Um….I can't" I had spotted Alice over Mike's shoulder and she was grinning. She had seen this was going to happen "My husband's waiting for me. Are you married?"

"Er…yeah. To Jessica Stanley; remember her?"

"Sure. Well, it was nice to see you Mike. Bye" I walked off, dumped two thirds of the bags on Alice, and headed out to the car to meet my husband.

We were coming in after hunting a few days later, when Edward started growling.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't worry about it"

"Edward, it's been five years now. I'm not human anymore. What ever it is, I can handle it"

He sighed "Emmett almost went over the line when he was chasing that young vampire from Anchorage. You know - the one that's been bothering Tanya and her family?" I nodded. It annoyed me when he forgot that I wasn't as fragile as I used to be. He knew this, and when he saw the look on my face he apologised "Sorry, I forget" He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him "And he ran into your daughter, walking along the road" I heard my automatic intake of breath. "He recognised her instantly, from the funeral." Everyone had gone to my "funeral", except Edward and Alice. Alice had been in the coffin, pretending to be the dead me, and Edward had been at home, looking after the real me, the newborn vampire.

Talking about Alice, at any time, whether she was mentioned in passing, or whether Esme and I were having a conversation about the children that we had lost, in one way or another, hurt me like a stake through the heart, because I couldn't see her. She believed I was dead, and that was the way it had to stay. The Cullen's couldn't risk anyone knowing about them, even my daughter, and now that I was a Cullen, Mrs Isabella Marie Swan Cullen, I had to adhere to their way of life too.

"Bella, Alice was with Jacob Black. She was pregnant. I'm sorry, Bella" He kissed me on the forehead, and then the lips as I processed the information. Even for my superior vampire brain, I was shocked.

"What?" I cried, when my brain was done processing "Pregnant? She's only twenty!"

I reluctantly wrenched myself from Edward's embrace and stormed into the house, down the long corridor, and into the living area where Emmett and Jasper were watching TV, with Edward close behind me.

"Dude" Emmett said "I thought you could read my thoughts. I told you not to tell her" I began to feel calmer, and while I still had some anger in me, I turned to Jasper, who was smiling serenely at me from the sofa, and pointed at him.

"Quit messing with my emotions, Jasper"

I turned back to Emmett "Give me your hands"

"No"

"Do it" Edward said "Emmett, she should see this, she's her daughter"

"Fine, fine" Emmett grumbled. Emmett held out his huge hands, palms up, and I placed my delicate, pale, hands on top of them. I closed my eyes and watched.

Alice walked along the side of the road, holding hands with a tall man, who I recognised as Jacob Black. He hadn't changed since I had last seen him, five years ago. Alice was no longer a girl; she was a young woman, with a belly that indicated she was at least six months pregnant. Her hem of her red dress fluttered in the breeze, and she looked radiant. Her hair was still in a short bob, and her curls bounced as she walked and laughed. I could hear, through Emmett's memory, their conversation.

"What shall we name her?" She glanced down and then looked back up at Jacob

"Elizabeth"

"No"

She pouted; a familiar sight to me "Why?"

"So we can call her Betty, or Liza? No way. How about Sequoia"

"I am not naming our child after a tree! What about Paris?"

"No! I am not naming our child after a city! We might as well call her Tokyo" He saw the look on her face "No!" He laughed

"But I like cities…." She trailed off "Wait, I know"

"What?"

"Florence!"

"It was the most beautiful city we visited and it just flows off the tongue"

"Florence Black" Jacob smiled down at her bump

"Florence Isabella Black"

"Of course"

It went blank after that. I looked up at Emmett "Why did it stop?"

He looked at me apologetically "because the wind changed and I didn't want that dog to smell me. If it makes you feel any better, I got the young one"

"Not really Emmett, but thanks for trying" I left the sitting room and headed upstairs to mine and Edward's room. It was big, with a huge bed, which was never used for sleeping, and Edward's music collection lined up against two of the walls. My books were scattered all over the place. I sat down on the bed and Edward wrapped his arms around me.

"Bella. Talk to me"

I sighed and breathed in his heavenly scent "She's knocked up! She's twenty, she's got her future before her and she's pregnant. How could she be so stupid? Having a child out of wedlock! Did she learn nothing from me?!" Being married to Edward had changed my views on marriage.

"Bella, didn't you see? In Emmett's memory, she was wearing a wedding ring"

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Alice's POV is next; can't wait for the wedding!

I bet you can't guess what Alice's power is! Have a go!

And review please!

xxxxx


	16. Apologies!

Apologies, but this story has to be put on a temporary hiatus due to the ridiculous amount of work placed on me by my school; just wait until my mocks are done. Until then, updates will be few and far between. In the meantime, don't hate me and wait for the updates. Review and tell me your thoughts on what will happen next.

I'm so sorry!

xxxx

Also, check out my Beta's story, I can't remember the link, but she's greengirl666


	17. September Alice's POV

OK, here we go another update! Thank you for your patience and apologies for the mistakes in the previous chapter. I meant "Bella's power", not "Alice's power"

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The dress was too short for me – the sleeves sat almost to my elbows, the hem was halfway up, my thigh, it was too tight across my chest and the black had faded – it was cotton as well and the cardigan I had grabbed on the way out wasn't thick enough either. She had bought it when we were in California.

The wind whipped around me, threatening to pull my hem higher if I didn't keep a tight hold on it. It blew through the long ladder that ran down the back of my tights, making me even colder. Jacob wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him. I hadn't heard him approach and I leaned against him for support, feeling the benefit of his constant high temperature. Tears ran down my cheeks. I hadn't stopped crying more or less for the past week. After spending two nights in hospital, my godmother, Sarah, came up and stayed in the house. She began clearing out, as my Mom's will directed that I should stay with her, in case anything happened to my Mom and Grandpa. Everything had to be packed up and now the house was empty. Most of the furniture had been sold, or put into storage. I claimed her clothes and shoes as my own, and the books as well, knowing that I would never wear or read them, but that I wanted as many mementoes of my mother as possible.

The funeral was over, everyone else had gone to the wake, and I was left here, alone. The vampires had come, well some of them. The one she was going to marry hadn't, and nor had the one I was named after.

"Alice, you're cold, let's go, c'mon" Jacob shook my shoulders, trying to move me.

"No" I stood still, staring at the mound of earth that covered my mother, and the white marble headstone.

"C'mon Alice, your plane leaves soon"

"But I don't wanna leave. Can't I stay with you?"

"To be honest with you, I tried to see if you could see stay with me, but you can't, I'm sorry. I really tried"

"No, you didn't"

"I did, Alice, really"

"No, you didn't. If you had tried you would be saying 'you're living with me instead of your godmother' but you're not, so you didn't try. You're abandoning me, just like everyone else. Like my Dad, my grandpa, my Mom. So you can just go, go and abandon me, just like everyone else" I was yelling by the end of my little speech. I was so mad at everyone; Jake, Mom, Grandpa, the Dad I had never met, my godmother for making me pack all of my Mom's things away.

"Alice, I'll come round before you leave and say goodbye. I'm not gonna talk to you while you're angry with me" He turned away from me and walked across the cemetery.

I yelled after his turned back "Don't coming looking for me! No-one else will" He didn't turn around as he walked away; so I fished around in my bag for my lighter and cigarettes. Desperate times, desperate measures. I stood there, smoking myself to an early grave, until Sarah came to get me to get me. It had begun to rain and she had fetched my suitcase from the house, so we were driving straight to the airport; I didn't get to say goodbye.

I sat with my back against the wooden door lifeguard hut, and stared out to sea, willing myself up the coast to Washington. It wasn't working. I'd been here for twenty minutes and the shrieks from the cheerleader girls and the laughter from the jock guys a little way up the beach were disrupting my concentration as I tried to picture La Push beach. I sighed and pushed myself up. After spending all my time in Washington wishing I was here, I was now wishing myself in Washington, as far away from California as I could be. As I walked back up the beach, towards my car, in the parking lot, the jocks called out to me. I ignored them and carried on. When I got back to the car, I immediately plugged my ipod in; it was less out of habit now, and more a conscious action, something, anything to block out the silence, the memories, the regrets.

When I got back to my godmother's house (I never called it home), I knew something would be happening inside, but I didn't realise how big it would be. As I got out of the car, I grabbed my graduation robe from the back of the car where I had dumped it and threw it over my arm. Then I changed my mind. I didn't want and more reminders of today hanging around my room; there would be enough when I got inside.

"Hello?" I called as I pushed open the door. I could hear my devoted "godsister", nine year old Lily, shushing someone, or someones, in the living room.

"SURPRISE!" Various friends and members of my godmother's family called, as I entered the living room.

"Happy 18th, darling!" My godmother, cried and pulled me into a hug, crushing me to her chest, pressing my face against the sharp stones of the many necklaces she wore, carrying off the look of Boho/Californian hippie effortlessly "And congratulations!" She pulled me away from her chest and held me at arms length, examining my appearance. I probably didn't look any different from this morning; same dyed black hair, same skinny arms and body, same expression. "You're a high school graduate now!"

"Thanks" I muttered. It was my birthday, and I had graduated, but what I really wanted to do was to go and curl up on my bed in my attic room, and mope, like I did most of the time. I spent a long time moping, dyeing my hair black, and generally being moody and depressed. I had lost a load of weight and I didn't have enough money to get my roots touched up so, in all the graduation photos, I was working the 'teen crackhead' look. I had hoped the vampires might have saved her, so that she might turn up at the back of the school auditorium, smiling and waving, but then I realised that as much I loved Jacob in all of his werewolfishness, I could never accept my mother as a vampire. It would just be too weird, my mother never ageing and me getting older everyday, until one day I would be old and wrinkled and she would be as youthful as she was the day she died.

I had realised during my great moping period that I was in love with Jacob. I missed him like crazy, but in the move to California, I lost his email address and phone number. I was furious with myself over that. I was even more furious with myself for yelling at him, that day in the cemetery. I shouldn't have taken it out on him, and now I couldn't apologise. I was seventeen and spending most of my time on the beach, wandering in and out of the surf. Needless to say, my high school career took a hit, and by the time I pulled my act together, I barely had enough credits to graduate, let alone to go to college.

Once I got my act together, I made some friends at school, and tried my hand at dating. When I realised that Ollie was no Jacob, I dumped him. I had a plan, to get Jake to forgive me though. I got a place at an art school in Washington, near Port Angeles. They based admissions on skill rather than grade averages, so I got a scholarship, after sending them a load of portraits of my family and friends. I would go down to La Push, and 'happen' to run into Jacob. That was the plan at least.

I had made some friends; Ollie (we were just friends now), Miranda and Dan. We were all in the same remedial chemistry class and shared a bench. After going to the beach after classes a few times, we started hanging out at each others' houses and suddenly, we were a gang of friends.

After much cake and jelly, several movies and six rounds of Twister, we said our goodbyes. Ollie and Dan were going on a road trip and Miranda was going to England, leaving the next day. I wasn't leaving for Washington for another fortnight. I wasn't planning on coming back to California, if everything went according to plan. I had remembered something Jake had told me during the week before the funeral, when I had stayed at his house; werewolves imprinted on their soul mates - maybe I was his soul mate! I hoped, but if he had imprinted, he probably would have told me. But then again, he might not have wanted to freak me out.

It was strange to be back. Even in summer, it was raining. I was glad, in a way. I had seen my Mom's grave, got my hair done (back to its natural brown, with almost unnoticeable copper highlights) and settled into the student apartment, on campus of the art school. I had, obviously, arrived early but because of "extenuating circumstances" I could come early. I was taking a sculpture class, to show the dean that I wasn't here just to get out of California.

I had been here the whole summer and I still hadn't been to see Jacob. I somehow hadn't got round to it. This was the guy I was supposedly in love with but instead I was painting my apartment with my room mate (a lovely girl called Charlie), going to classes, working in a bookshop and trying to find a car (my original car died before I left California).

I finally got my car, a vintage Merc that basically had no engine. This meant that I had to go to a mechanic. Reluctantly, one rainy day, I headed down to La Push. The rain was coming down in sheets, and I could barely see anything, but I reached Jacob's house in the end. He was standing on the drive, which was full of cars, and he called out to me "Sorry, I'm just closing and I don't have any more room for any cars! Come back tomorrow!" I climbed out of the car and called back to him "It's me, Alice" Just like that, his face changed. "Alice!" he yelled and ran towards me. It was totally cliché but I ran towards him in the rain and we hugged and it was great and I felt like finally, finally my life is complete.

We stood there, arms wrapped around each other, when he said "What happened to your car?"

"It's new. My other one died. I was wondering if you could fix it"

"Sure, but like I said, not until tomorrow. C'mon in now, we're both gonna get even wetter if we stay out here"

I spent the evening with Jacob, like I had before, in his sweatpants and shirt. I talked and he listened. I apologised to him about what happened after Mom's funeral and told him about California.

We were sitting on the sofa, me leaning against Jacob and him with his arm around me. It was so familiar and comforting and safe. I hadn't felt like this in a long time. Without thinking about it, I leant forward and kissed him. I could feel his surprise in his lips but then he kissed me back and I knew everything was going to be OK.

Jacob and I had been together for two years. I lived with him now and I couldn't remember a time when I had been happier. Sarah had come to stay with us a couple of weeks ago and she said that my Mom would have been happy to see me so happy.

I wasn't so happy right now though. I was sitting on the edge of the bath; just I have done eighteen months before. The little stick in my hand told me the same thing that it had done previously. But this time, I was going to tell Jacob.

Eighteen months ago, I missed a period and took a pregnancy test. I was pregnant. I freaked out. I didn't tell Jacob. I kept it secret for a month and then I started bleeding one rainy afternoon during art. I needed the toilet and went, and lost the baby on the way. I never told Jacob. He spent weeks asking me if something was up because I didn't want to have sex and he still doesn't know and I was going to keep it that way. But this second baby meant something. Whereas the first time it was a shock, this time it felt like it was meant to happen.

"What shall we name her?" I glanced down at my bump and then looked back up at Jacob. We were walking along the boundary, although there wasn't much to worry about, with all the vampires being gone. I was wearing my new favourite dress, given to me by Emily Uley. It was red and just about reached my knees and would keep stretching until I was nine months, Emily assured me.

"Elizabeth" He'd being trying for Elizabeth for weeks.

"No" He knew my feels towards the name; a ten-stone-ten-year-old tortured me for a year when we lived in California

"Why?" He whined, and then I tried a different tactic

"So we can call her Betty, or Liza? No way. How about Sequoia?"

"I am not naming our child after a tree! What about Paris?" Once Jacob found out I was pregnant, he proposed and then we went on a whirlwind vacation around Europe, so that we could see some of the world before settling down.

"No! I am not naming our child after a city! We might as well call her Tokyo" He saw the look on my face "No!" He laughed

"But I like cities…." I trailed off and then came up with the most brilliant name in the history of names, if I say so myself "Wait, I know!"

"What?"

"Florence! It was the most beautiful city we visited and it just flows off the tongue"

"Florence Black" Jacob smiled down at my bump

"Florence Isabella Black"

"Of course"

And just like that, the name of our first child was decided.


	18. October Alice's POV

**I am soooooo sorry! Words cannot express my apologies to you all. I am sorry I haven't written sooner but I've been revising, performing in West Side Story and a whole bunch of other things. But, finally, after much planning and editing, I have anther chapter. Reviews would be wonderful, even though I don't really deserve them. Also, I would love everyone's views on the Twilight movie and whether you have been looking at the previews on the Twilight Lexicon.**

**Much love and apologies,**

**Queen of the Superficial (in case you haven't noticed I changed my name)**

**xxxxxx**

**P.S. I don't own any of Twilight, sadly.**

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Jake hung up the phone "CeeCee, the pack needs me. Will you be OK?" 

"Jake, I'll be fine" I said. 

"'K, love ya" He gave me a peck on the cheek and ran off. We were in the park, with Flo. She was three now, and utterly adorable. She had corkscrew curls, mischievous eyes and I had never loved anything or anyone more, not even Jake. She was smart as well – she could do her seatbelt up, undo it again and could say the alphabet up to the letter F. 

Jake's pack had vampire trouble – there was a young vampire on the loose, killing campers, and animals. They had almost caught him a couple of days ago, but he had gone into the water near to Oregon, so the pack were on constant alert and I was left to wander around the park. 

I loved the park; it was like the one near to where I used to live in California with Mum. I could feed the ducks, walk around the green and play in park with Flo. When Jacob was working or with the pack, he would come too. 

The day was cast over, and humid, rare in Washington, and threatening to rain. I wasn't worried though – I had raincoats in the back of Flo's buggy. I meandered under the shady trees, talking to Flo until she fell asleep. I stopped under my favourite tree, checked Flo was still safe in her buggy and pulled my book out if my bag. I stretched out on the grass to read. 

It wasn't until my phone began to ring in the bag beside me that I realised I had fallen asleep. "Hello?" I mumbled

"It's me"

"Hey Jakey"

"We're all done here. When are you coming home?"

"Umm" I yawned "What time is it?"

"Almost six,"

"Wow, I better get going then," I said. I hadn't realised how late it was – it was getting pretty dark.

"Bye," he said

"Bye,"

"Love ya,"

"Love you too," Everyone said the way Jake and I hung up the phone was sickening – like we were lovesick teenagers or something, but I liked it. It made me feel loved. 

"Alice, sweetie," I turned to the pram "It's time to…..Flo? Flo!" The pram was empty and the straps were undone. My baby was gone. 

"Flo!" I screamed "Flo!" I whirled round, not focused, looking for my baby "Flo!" I could feel the tears pouring down my face. I was the only one in the park. "Flo!" I cried out, falling to my knees.

"Excuse me;" a velvety voice came from behind me "Is this baby yours?" I spun around to see a very familiar face, holding a sleeping Flo close to his chest "I found her wandering around by the duck pond" It was Edward Cullen. I had blocked him out of my mind, so I didn't say anything to him; I was in complete shock, so I just held my arms out for my daughter. He handed her to me, and then held out a tissue for me to dry my eyes with, as I held Flo close to my chest, rocking her gently back and forth. 

"Th-Thank you" I stammered. He seemed to be waiting for me to say something else "You can go now" I said.

"If it's alright with you, I will stay until I know you can drive home"

"Thank you" I wasn't sure how long I sat there, opposite the beautiful Edward Cullen, who had stolen my mother's heart. He didn't look sad or remorseful, or lonely. Just concerned, for me. Eventually, Jacob crept into my mind and I knew I should be getting home. "I should go," I said, and as I went to stand up, I slipped. Before I knew it, Edward's cold hands were around me waist, steadying me. 

"Careful," he said. He stood by me as I folded up the pram, tucked Flo onto one hip and shouldered by bag.

"Here, let me," he said, taking the pram from me. We walked, a silent pair, to my car, just by the park entrance. He was a real gentleman, helping me put Flo in her seat, making sure the boot was shut. When we were done I stood and looked up at him "Thank you"

"It was my pleasure. She's very beautiful" He nodded towards my sleeping daughter.

"Thank you" I said, again. It seemed about the only thing I could say. Without really thinking about it, I reached up and hugged him. He had a delicious, intoxicating smell, different to Jacob's. His body went rigid as I wrapped by arms around him, but then his arms came lightly around my waist. "Take care of yourself," He whispered in my ear before stepping away and opening my door for me. As I drove away, I tried to glance back in my mirror, to catch sight of him, but he was gone.

When I got home, all of the lights were on. As soon as my headlights swung over the house the front door swung open and Jacob came running out. "What happened?" He called as I cut the engine "What took you so long?" I climbed out of the car, and he draped his long arms around my waist, leant in to kiss my neck. He stiffened and stepped away from me. "How-how-what……?" He stuttered, spluttered and began to shake. I knew what was happening. Jake was changing. I knew what I had to do "How could you?" He said through clenched teeth "How could you?"

I scrabbled at Florence's strap on her seatbelt, trying to keep her safe "Do what?" 

His shaking stopped, just a little "You know what you did"

"No! Jake! I don't tell me! Please!" I begged, holding Flo to my chest

"You were with a vampire!" He spat out, turning on his heel and marching away from me as the heavens opened and the rain began to fall.


	19. November Alice's POV

Happy Easter!

And here is an Easter gift for you: a new chapter!

Has anyone seen the pictures of Robert Pattinson yet? I love him, with his gold contacts and lovely sunnies (I have the same ones)

Does anyone have any ideas about what to happen next? I have ideas but I want to hear yours - so review!

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If I could have, I would have stayed out in the rain, but Flo was struggling in my arms, so I went into the house. I ignored the sitting room, where Jake was sitting on the couch, his face buried in his hands. I took Flo to her little room, changed her, and put her in her crib, sitting next to her in a cushy yellow armchair until she fell asleep. It was only then that I headed to the sitting room, twisting my wedding ring around my finger as I went.

"Hi," I said, perching myself at the other end of the sofa, as far away from Jake as I could be. He got up and went and stood in the doorway, fury written all over his face. "Jake, talk to me,"

"I don't know what to say to you,"

"Say anything, Jacob, please. Talk to me" I could feel myself tearing up. I hated crying, and arguing. Jake and I rarely argued, what with the imprinting and things, so when we did; it was hard, on both of us.

"How could you?" He suddenly hissed "You know what he is and you know how I feel about him. You smell like him, I can smell him on you. What were you doing with him?"

"What do you mean?"

"You look like your mum used to look, after she had been around him. What happened between you?" I suddenly understood what he was talking about. I was about to talk when he interrupted "You marry the werewolf and then mess around with a vampire behind his back!" That made me mad

"Jake! Listen to me! I lost Flo and-"

"You lost our daughter? When?"

"In the park and-" He seemed to be about to speak "Don't say anything, Jake, just listen. Flo had fallen asleep, so settled I was reading and I fell asleep. I woke up when you called and….and…." As I relived the terrible moment that I thought I had lost my daughter, I began to cry. Jacob hadn't moved from his position by the door, so I continued "Flo wasn't in her pram. I ran around, calling for her, and just as I was about to call you, Edward was there, holding her in his arms. I think she must have woken up and unbuckled her straps – she knows how to do that now" I couldn't keep the pride out of my voice at the end, even if it meant that my daughter may have disappeared from my life forever.

Jake didn't say anything for a long time. He just looked at me, and eventually came and sat at the far end of the sofa from me. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry" he said "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Why didn't you call me?"

I suddenly felt guilty for not calling him "I-I didn't think," Normally this would be the time when Jake would wrap his arms around me and we'd go upstairs, but he didn't. He just sat there. I moved towards him and, to my horror, he recoiled. Rejection and shame washed over me in shame. Jake was so repulsed at my even talking to, let alone, touching a vampire, he couldn't bear to touch me.

"CeeCee, listen. You need to take a shower," This wasn't what I was expecting.

"What?"

"Well, the thing is, vampires, to werewolves, they, well, um, stink." That made me laugh.

"Are you serious?"  
"Yeah. I guess we must smell bad to them as well. It's not that I don't want to touch you, but it's that you smell, honestly, disgusting." I was so relieved it wasn't me.

"I'd better go and take a shower, then" I said

"See you upstairs" He said with a grin.

I was in the shop a few weeks later, sketching at the counter, just before closing time, when the most beautiful creature I had ever seen walked in. She had long blonde hair, the most perfect figure, and even if she was wearing a bin bag, she would have looked incredible. As it was, her designer clothes fitted her perfectly. She walked around, eyeing my designs with a well honed and critical eye. She picked up a few items, and walked into a changing room.

As she walked to the counter, her phone rang.

"Alice? Yeah, I'm here. That little boutique we read about? Y'know the one in the Seattle Times. There is some really nice stuff, here. And you need to get some before she goes to London Fashion Week," The girl smiled at me as she pushed her credit card across to me. It appeared to be gold plated, but appearances could be deceptive. I rang up her many purchases, admiring the details of my designs, folding them carefully, when a very small person with a very familiar face walked through the door. I swung around, hiding my face from her, and began slowly loading them into the bags.

"Emmett and the others are coming in a minute" Said the small one, I recognised her voice

"Good" said the blonde girl "I want him to carry these"

"You're perfectly strong enough"

"I know that, but I want Emmett to carry them. I might chip a nail." The second girl scoffed at that.

I turned around, having packed all the clothes into the bags. "Here you are," I said, handing them to her, with a smile "Have a nice day"

The blonde girl's small friend, my namesake, gasped "It's you!" I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything. I just stood there, with my mouth hanging open. "Rosalie! I can't believe you didn't believe you didn't tell me! It's Bella's daughter!"  
"What?" I still stood there, saying nothing

"Bella will be so pleased to see her!"

This got me talking "I'm sorry, but you've got it wrong, my mother died almost four years ago,"

"Oh crap!" The little one covered her mouth with her hands. The blonde girl hit her on the arm.

"You idiot, Alice!"

"Would you please explain to me what is going on?" Just then the bell above the door rang, signalling more two customers coming in from the rain.

"OK, I'm here, Rose, give me the-" The tallest man I had ever seen, stopped short, looking at me "Isn't that Bella's kid?" The man who came in with the tall one, looked like a tall, blonde movie star, just stared at me. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"I hope you don't mind me saying this, but could someone please explain to me what is going on" I said, indignant that people were acting as though I wasn't here. The bell above the door rang, and a young couple entered but the young man stopped and stared, as though he had heard what the others had been saying.

"Alice?" A voice I hadn't heard in almost four years called my name. I turned to the door.

"Mum?"


	20. November

**Over 200 reviews! Yay!**

**Because of your many reviews, and because I left it so long last time, and because I am on holiday, I have written a whole chapter in one day AND updated. I apologise for the many mistakes, but I can't find my beta. She's away.**

**lolly12: he calls her CeeCee as a nickname – Alice – Lassie - See – CeeCee. She calls his Jakey. When they are not fighting.**

**saranicole: I'm glad you like all the English terms. I am English but I try to use American terms because more of my readers are American, but the English ones do slip in.**

**As always, I own nothing, the talented Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Lots of love,**

**Queen of the Superficial**

**P.S. Reviews would be appreciated.**

**P.P.S. Only a few chapters left now!**

**xxxx **

* * *

Bella's POV

"Alice?"

"Mum?" I never thought that I would see Alice again, but there she was, her hair long and curly, in a beautiful paisley dress, shock written across her face.

Neither of us seemed to know what to say. Then Edward surprised me by asking something "How's your daughter?" It broke the tension.

"She's fine," she replied smoothly, and then she turned to me "You're one of them, aren't you? You didn't die, they changed you?"

"Yes," I couldn't lie to her, what else was I supposed to say anyway? I'm the ghost of your mother? I

"But, how?" She had always been naturally curious.

"Well-" Edward interrupted me

"I'm sure we would all like to know, but this isn't really the place to discuss it," My husband jerked his head towards the door, where some customers had come in, staring at us, the beautiful ones, unashamedly.

"Of course," Alice said, and turned towards the customers "I'm sorry, I'm just closing up. Come back tomorrow," She smiled at them and as they left the shop, she locked the door behind them. "We'll go out the back" She pulled the shutters down, put the cash in a safe and we followed her down a tiny passageway, out of the shop. She had great authority and presence, something I didn't remember her having. No one had contradicted her or said a word.

"My cars over there," She pointed.

"Can I ride with you?" I asked

"Sure." The others sorted themselves out and headed back to the car park to get their things, she ran to her car, and I followed, keeping to a human pace.

"Where are we going?" She asked, belting herself in. I did the same, again, under my human pretence.

"We'll go to our house, I'll give you directions," I said. We sat in silence for a few minutes, in rush hour traffic, in the rain, until Alice spoke up.

"Do you want to start, or shall I?"

"Why don't you start?"

"OK, what do you want to know about?" I decided to feign ignorance

"You're married?" I nodded towards her left hand, where it rested on the steering wheel.

"Yes," She hesitated "To Jacob Black,"

"Have you got any children?"

"Yes, one. Her name is Florence. She's beautiful. Next time we stop, I'll show you a picture,"

"Thank you. So when did your business start?" I thought of the boutique, with all of her designs.

"Just after Flo was born. A girl I was at art school with spotted my designs when she came over to visit the baby and I and helped me make them into my first show, where I was spotted to have untapped creativity, and then the Marlowe house of fashion wanted to do a range of my designs. That went so well that I opened the little boutique I met you in. I go to London Fashion Week soon, to take my designs international, and I already have another range for Marlowe lined up."

"Wow," Was all I could say. I couldn't believe my little girl was all grown up, running a business and married with a young child.

Suddenly something clicked "Wait, why did Edward ask you about Florence? I didn't know you had a child, so why should he?"

"I was in the park a couple of weeks ago, and Flo climbed out of her pram, while I was asleep, and got away. I woke up, found she was gone, went looking for her, and suddenly, Edward was there, holding her,"

"I wonder why he didn't mention it. Right here," I directed "and then follow that silver car, its Edward's. I don't know if you will be able to keep up though – he's quite fast." I was cross with Edward. He should have told me if he had seen Alice. If he had remembered the event at all, I would have known, I had been close enough to him.

"So tell me about you," Alice glanced at me, expertly overtaking a very slow car, at the same time as Edward. He was keeping to the speed limit, probably realising that she needed to follow him. I was about to start talking when she said "Let me guess, you faked your own death, became a vampire, and never thought to tell your daughter that you are still alive,"

"You're cross with me,"

"No," she frowned "Just curious. Why couldn't you tell me? I'd understand. I wouldn't tell anyone,"

"I wanted to tell you. I spent months in hiding, mourning the fact that although you hadn't died, I'd lost you forever. You see, when I was first turned, I could have killed you for your blood. The others are amazed at how quickly I have become immune to the smell of human blood. By the time I was able to cope with being out in public, you were in California. How would you have reacted if someone claiming to be your mother called you?"

"Good point," Alice conceded.

"So tell me about my grandchild. I want to know everything." I would persuade Edward to let me find everything out later, but for now I wanted to hear about my granddaughter, from my daughter. It felt strange to be saying granddaughter when I only looked about 18, but, at the same time, I was excited.

"Her name is Florence, she's three, has eyes like Jacob-" She glanced at me there, as though she was unsure about her husband. I would ask her later "and hair just like mine. She can say the alphabet up to the letter F, walk, talk and do and undo the straps in her car seat and pram."

"I'd love to meet her."

"You can" We drove in a comfortable silence after that, following Edward's car. I knew how annoyed the others would be at the speed, and I would have to find ways to make it up to them – video games with Emmett and Jasper and shopping with Rosalie and Alice.

"This is your house?" Alice breathed.

We'd driven through the woods, with Mt. St Helens in the distance, through a small town called Easton, and into the forest, along a track, until we reached home. Home was a large house, with ample room for us all. It was grey stone, a large front door and about 30 acres of land. I adored it. Almost as much as the white house in Forks. There was a gravel drive leading to the garage and I could see Edward's car parked at the end of the drive, right by the front door, precariously close to Esme's irises.

Alice climbed out of the car slowly, taking in her surroundings, leaving me to get a good look at her, to see the woman she had become. "It's beautiful," she turned to me and smiled warmly. We walked to the house and, on the threshold, I turned and wrapped my arms around her. She smelt, as she always did, like her perfume, with a different shampoo, and with a hint of something I couldn't place, that tickled my nose. I took her hand, trying to block any of her memories that she might be having, and led her into the house, where Carlisle and Esme were waiting by the door. She shook hands with Carlisle and hugged Esme, who asked her if she wanted to sit down, and she did.

"Do you want to see a picture of Flo?" she asked

"Yes please," I sat down next to her, as she looked through her bag.

"Who's Flo?" Esme said, sitting down on her other side as Edward, Rosalie, Emmett and Alice came into the room, sitting down on the various ottomans, chairs and couches that were centred around the coffee table.

"My daughter," she said, pulling a picture out of her bag. In the photograph was the most adorable little girl with caramel coloured skin, chocolate coloured eyes and corkscrew curls, sitting on a white tree, on a beach.

"Oh, she's beautiful," said Esme "May I have a closer look?"

"Of course," Alice handed Esme the photo, who handed it to Rosalie, who sighed, her maternal instinct coming out

"She's gorgeous," Rosalie agreed "Did you design her dress?"

"Yes, I had some fabric bolts left over so I made it for her. She loves the Wizard of Oz, so she wanted to dress up as Dorothy, so I made her the dress,"

"Oh yes, of course!" Rosalie exclaimed "You can just see her red shoes!"

Time passed quickly after that, it was as though all the barriers had broken down and we could just talk and be natural with each other. We all told Alice about our powers, trusting her. She let me try my power out on her. I watched her wedding from her eyes – getting ready in the most beautiful dress possible, it was like the dress Grace Kelly wears in Rear Window, one of our favourite films, which she confessed to be her inspiration – marrying Jacob – and then the reception at what I realised was Billy Black's tiny house, with people spilling out of the house, onto the lawn, and everything lit up with lanterns in the trees. It was only when Alice's stomach growled and she began to yawn did we realise the time.

"Come into the kitchen," Esme invited "I'm sure I can find you something to eat," We had a kitchen, but it was just for show, when Carlisle had to have important guests from the hospital, Esme would could. For someone who thought that human food tasted of dirt, as we all did, she made it very well, or so her human guests told her.

"I'm fine," she insisted "I really should go,"

"No, stay!" Rosalie said "Please. Tell her Bella,"

"Mum," Alice turned to me "Should I stay?"

"It's up to you" I didn't want to pressure her, not after I had only just got her back after so long. Alice took this as her cue to enter the conversation.

"Please?" She put on her pleading face.

"OK, then" Alice agreed, secretly pleased.

"Yay!" Alice and Alice danced around the kitchen, one so tiny and one so tall, while Esme fixed her some scrambled eggs.

Alice slept in the spare room and left early the next morning, with Rosalie and Alice, who wanted to see her designs for London Fashion Week. I was still not as obsessed as they were, but I wanted some alone time with Edward. We said our goodbyes and swapped numbers, and arranged to meet up for a mother/daughter lunch before she left for England.

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**Press that and write a review.**

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**xxxx**


	21. February Alice's POV

I've recently realised how confusing this story is, what with the multiple Alice's and things

**I've recently realised how confusing this story is, what with the multiple Alice's and things. I'm in the market for a Beta, as mine isn't up for it anymore, to help me sort this problem out. How does it work by the way? My Beta was my friend so it was very easy to pass the chapter over, and she wasn't critical enough. I if had a Beta I would like them to help me with other stories as well.**

**I would also like to apologise for the fluctuation in my writing style. If I'm in a good mood and I've had a good day, I will write well. But if I've a crappy day and people are interrupting me when all I want to do is write, my chapter won't be as good. **

**So, here is my Easter resolution: I resolve to take more care over my chapters and make sure they are spell checked, well-written, and not confusing. I would appreciate it if you guys could keep me updated on my progress.**

**And finally, as my long author's note draws to a close, I would like to say that although this story is nearly finished, if it isn't done by 4****th**** April, I will be leaving there until my GCSEs are over, in late June. **

As soon as I got to the shop, I plugged in my cell phone. Then I called Jake. "Hi, Jakey, it's me,"

"Hey CeeCee! How was last night?" I hadn't told Jake who I was with – I had called him from the Cullen's to say I had met an old friend from California and we had gone to her house and had had too much wine and I didn't feel safe driving home. I was a careful driver since the crash, and he knew that.

"Fine, thanks. How are you? How's Flo?"

"She's great. We had a lovely time, didn't we, Alice? Yes, we did, yes we did," I could hear him talking to her down the phone.

"I'll see you when I get home, Jakey,"

"Bye CeeCee,"

"Love ya,"

"Love you too" I hated lying to Jake, but I knew how he would feel if he found out I was seeing vampires. I decided to keep my Mum a secret from him, just for a little while longer. It was like finding something precious, that I had lost and hadn't seen for a long time. I wanted to find out more about her, and the family I had spent the evening with.

The Cullen's amazed me - their self control, their kindness, their beauty. I had always thought Mum was beautiful, but now, she was incomparable. Despite Jacob's complaint that vampires smelt disgusting, I thought they smelt delicious.

Over the next few months, I started taking long lunch breaks and closing the shop on Wednesday afternoons to spend time with Mum and her new family. I even took Flo along to meet them. My Mom said that if she could have cried, she would have. She was so happy. Edward bounced Flo on his knee, while Emmett made faces at her, making her laugh, Alice and Jasper made her a fort out of sofa cushions and she fell asleep between Rosalie and Esme. They bought her present after present. I made excuses for all of her new things but I was sure he was beginning to get suspicious.

Jake came to say goodbye to me at the airport – I was going to miss him, but he couldn't leave the reservation, so he was staying to look after Flo. I was going to miss Mum too. We had said our goodbyes last night and Alice and Rosalie had laden me down with new clothes to wear in London – even though I was meant to be wearing my own designs.

I was so excited – going to a new country that I hadn't been to before, to present my designs to the fashion community. I sat backstage on the final night of the fashion week, organising my models and making sure their outfits were just right. As I walked down the catwalk at the end of the show, in my wedding dress, now dyed pink, to loud cheers, I would have sworn that I saw Jasper standing at the back, but it was just a trick of the light. There were a lot of tall, beautiful, blonde male models in London. My trip had been a success – I had been spotted as "#1 of the Top Ten Designers to Watch", several stores wanted to sell my collection for the Autumn/Winter season and I had found the site for my new boutique. I was coming out of the stage door, still in my wedding dress, on a high from my success, when I heard a shout.

"Alice!" I turned. There was Rosalie, Alice, Emmett, Jasper (so I had seen him), Esme, Carlisle, Edward and Bella.

"Oh my God!" I cried, the stereotypical American "You guys! What are you doing here?"

"We couldn't miss your big moment in the spotlight!" Rosalie wrapped her arms around me. The other's followed suit.

"Crushing…the…human…." I choked out.

"Sorry!" Esme said as they all pulled back "We thought we'd come and see you, and see Carlisle's home – I've always wanted to see his home,"

"Is this your wedding dress?" Alice held out my skirt and surveyed it, eyeing the beadwork and layers of net and chiffon "Beautiful," she announced and linked her little arm through mine.

We went to the Hard Rock Café, where we got some rather strange looks, as, in a party of nine, only one person was eating. Afterwards, Carlisle and Esme went to look for places from Carlisle's "first life" as they referred to it and the others came back to my hotel room to help me pack. It was like one giant sleepover, with only one person sleeping.

I spent the next week splitting my time between promoting my designs and spending my time with my family. We went to the Tower of London, the London Eye, several art galleries and Rosalie, Alice, Mum, Esme and I went shopping on Oxford Street and in Knightsbridge. We roared with laughter at the excited groups of teenage girls queuing outside the new Abercrombie and Fitch.

I left the next morning, after making a few business calls. Mum and Edward drove me to Heathrow Airport. I couldn't believe I had ever denied their love. They were so perfect for each other, like Jake and I were. Jake.

I was meant to call him last night, but I had forgotten. He'd left me a message, sounding strained, which meant Flo was probably driving him mad (she could be quite demanding), but I didn't have time now, we were in a traffic jam, and even with Edward's manic driving, which I was getting used to, I was running a risk of missing my flight. However, we got there in time and with a little bribe from Edward, I was bumped up to first class, where I slept for almost the whole flight.

I rushed through the airport, through passport control, through baggage claim and there, waiting in arrivals, was my husband and daughter. I swept Flo into my arms, breathing in her baby smell.

"Darling!" I sounded like a fashionista - "Mummy's missed you so much,"

"Mummy!" She cried, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Jakey!" I shifted Flo to my hip and wrapped one arm around Jacob. He wrapped his arm around me, bent his head down to kiss me and stiffened. The smile that had lit up his face when he saw me disappeared. He stepped away from me, his face disgusted.

"Let's go, Alice." Jake grabbed my bags and I hoisted Flo onto my hip and followed him out of the airport. I buckled Flo into her seat, not letting her do it herself, while Jake put my bags in the boot, slamming the lid down hard. We sat in an awkward silence. I pulled my handbag onto my lap.

"Start explaining, Alice, because I sure as hell don't understand," This was coming back to bite me. All the lies, secret lunches, taking showers as soon as I got in, he had realised what was going on. I knew I was going to have to start telling the truth.

I sighed "My Mum's not dead,"

"What?" Jake glanced down at me; I looked straight ahead, out of the windscreen.

"My Mum, she's not dead. She's…….she's a vampire," I gazed out of the window, determined not to look at him. He didn't say anything. I swung my hair over my shoulder, a move my Mum used when she felt self conscious. I glanced up at Jake, through the curtain, feeling safer with something between us. He wasn't looking at me anymore; he was staring out at the car in front, hands gripping the wheel tightly and his jaw clenched.

"So this is what's been going on?" He said eventually.

"Yes,"

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Yes, I do"

"I don't understand – we went to her funeral,"

"She's not dead,"

"Alice," He sighed as he turned onto the motorway "I love you, so much, you know that, but I'm finding it hard to believe you. If you don't want to be with me anymore, then fine, but tell me, don't make it painful and drag it out. Things are hard enough as it is,"

"What do you mean, things are hard enough? We do OK, don't we?"

"Alice, I needed you – I asked you to call me, and you didn't call back," His voice cracked at the end. Something bad happened.

"Jakey, what's happened?"

"It's my Dad, he died, while you were gone," To my horror, I realised he was crying. Jake never cried, never. Not when we found out about his sister getting cancer, not when I thought I was having another miscarriage. He didn't even cry when Alice was born. I began to cry too.

"Jake, I'm so sorry," He pulled the car into a lay-by until his tears dried. Then he pulled out again. Still he didn't say anything.

"I just want to get through this week, until after the funeral. Then we can get everything in order, and you can spend time with your vampire,"

"What?" I twisted round in my seat "What do you mean? I don't 'have' a vampire Jake! Are you saying you don't believe me?"

"No. I don't," He spat out the words.

"Why not? I never lie!" It was true, I never lied, that was, until my Mum came back into my life. Jake just looked at me, his dark brows knitted together.

"Alice, you've spent the last few months lying to me! Why should I believe you now?"

"Because I _am_ telling the truth!" Then I remembered my camera. I had had it in my bag when we were in London, and I wanted to know if the vampires would show up in the photos – they did, to my delight. "I have proof!"

Jake raised his eyebrows sceptically as we pulled into the drive. I glanced back to check on Flo – she had fallen asleep. She was such a heavy sleeper – even our fight didn't disturb her. "Show me," he said and held out his hand while I rifled through my bag. I produced my camera with a flourish and handed it too him. He flicked through the pictures while I leant over his shoulder, watching his face. His emotions flickered, as he changed pictures. He stopped at my favourite picture - Edward, Mum and I, pulling silly faces, on the banks of the Thames, with Tower Bridge in the background.

Jake handed the camera back to me and got out of the car without a word. He got my bags out of the boot, and I grabbed Flo, holding her close to me. I followed him into the house. He had left my bags by the door and was moving things around on the counter, so I sat on a chair and waited for him to start talking. Flo stirred against my chest, so I quietly made faces at her and tickled her while Jacob started cooking a meal. I was exhausted - jet lag was beginning to catch up with me – but I stayed where I was, waiting for Jacob to start talking.

"I'm sorry, Alice," Jake said, putting a steaming bowl of his speciality pasta in front of me. "I should have believed you. I realise now how it must have felt for you now, finding your mother, after you thought she was dead. You wanted to keep her all to yourself, of course you did. But-" he sighed. "I'm going to have to ask you to do something for me CeeCee,"

"What, Jakey? Anything."

"You can't see her anymore,"

"Who?" I said, not comprehending

"Bella. Your mother,"

**Cliff-hanger! What's Alice going to do?**

**Reviews and guesses would be fab!**

**This may be it now, until June folks…….revision is upon me. **

**Good luck to those of you taking exams!**

**amhphotography./photos/kalama/twilight279.html**

**How much do you want to be that bottle of water? **

**My friend, the talented Flo, did a great sketch of Alice's wedding dress, but my scanner's broken at the moment, but I'll put it on when it's working again.**


	22. Epilogue

And so we come to the end. The final chapter...I wrote this months ago, when I started the story. So, here it is, the final chapter. As usual, reviews would be lovely.

Lots of love, QOTS

xxxx

* * *

"Guys! Dinner!" I called "Bring your sister!" There was the sound of the television being switched off, Flo and Billy (named for his grandfather) climbing off the sofa, fiddling with Scarlett's car seat and heading for the kitchen, where I was dishing up dinner.

"Mommy!" Billy's voice announced his and Flo's arrival, where they were pushing Scarlett across the floor. She didn't mind, in fact, she loved it and her older siblings. I picked her up and put her in her high chair.

"C'mon guys, don't do that! Her baby-grow is all grey and dirty now!"

"You'd have to change her after dinner," Flo pointed out smugly. She knew her baby sister didn't mind. In fact, Scarlett would follow Flo and Bill around, pulling herself around with her hands (she couldn't walk yet), and to speed things up, Flo and Bill would push her along the laminate floorboards of our new house, as she giggled and clapped her hands.

"Hush, Flo. Go get your dad, Bill," He disappeared from the room. As I served, Flo got down from the table and put her hands on my ever-expanding belly.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"When you have another baby, will you love it more than me?"

"Of course not! I will love you the same as I always have, and I'll love this little baby just as much as I love you, but it doesn't mean I'll love you any less,"

Dinner was the same as it always was in the Black household – Jake would tell us what happened at work, Flo and Billy would recount what happened at school, I would listen and if the phone rang, there would be a rush to answer it and someone would end up spilling their drink.

The phone was usually for me, work. My dresses had become more and more popular, and I found myself sketching late into the night, as my ideas snowballed, until Jake coaxed me into going to bed and getting some sleep. At last years Oscar's, six actresses were wearing my designs. They all won. My children regularly found their favourite actresses and singers sitting in the living room, discussing my designs. It was as surreal for me as it was for them. Before, La Push hadn't even been on the map. Now it was, apparently, the place to go for high fashion.

My best clients, however, were Esme, Rosalie, Alice and Isabella Cullen. They saw my designs before anyone else, vetoed designs that wouldn't work because, having been around as long as they had, they knew the fashion market well.

Despite Jake claiming it wouldn't work, he had developed a strange sort of friendship with Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and, of course, Edward. While I went over my designs with Rosalie and Alice, Bella and Esme would play with Flo, Billy, and now Scarlett. Jacob would watch sports with the boys. They would yell and cheer at the TV, as though there had never been any awkward moments between them.

It had been my idea, that they tried to get along, ignoring the "werewolves and vampires are enemies" belief that they both held. It had been difficult the first time, but eight years and three children later, we all still went over, at least once a week.

We had to go to their house, hidden in the woods outside of Forks, because the treaty still stood. The other werewolves were incredulous, even after this had been going on for as long as it had. Seth Clearwater had come with us last time, and was immediately welcomed by the vampires.

I remember the first time we went as family. I had dressed carefully, and dressed the children carefully. When I'm nervous, I turn to clothes and so the children were in my latest designs. Jake had taken a lot of persuade to come and 10 minutes before we were due to leave, he was still in his overalls from the garage, which were coated in grease and oil. He was sitting in front of the TV with his feet up on the coffee table.

"Jakey! C'mon, get dressed we need to go!" I nudged his legs with my knees as I hunted for toys that would keep Flo and Billy.

"I'm not sure it's such a good idea," Jake mumbled, keeping focused on the TV in front of him. I reached across and switched it off.

"Jake. Get dressed. We're going,"

"It's not a good idea," he repeated.

"You promised Jakey! You can't back out now! They're all expecting you and you can't let me down, and you can't break a promise. C'mon Jakey, do this for me"

"Why'd you have to say that?" He whined, standing up

"Say what?"

"'Do this for me'? You know how imprinting works!" And he stomped upstairs to get changed. I didn't pull the imprinting card often – but this time it was necessary.

It was Christmas Day, and we had just finished exchanging presents with the Cullens, and I was sitting with Esme, Carlisle, Alice and Jasper, reminiscing about old Christmases (the ones Carlisle had celebrated as a human in London were very different to what I would have thought), while the others (even Flo and Billy) were building a giant snowman, when my water broke.

With Carlisle carrying me, and Esme holding my hand and Jasper sending calming thoughts, the ride to the hospital seemed easier and faster, although that might have been Edward's driving.

Nine hours later, my fourth child, my second son, was born. I named him Finnley Thomas, but he would be called Finn for short.

"Happy Christmas," Jakey whispered in my ear, looking down at the beautiful baby that was cradled in my arms.

"Mrs Black?" The nurse interrupted us "Your family is here. Shall I let them in?" I glanced at Jake, who nodded.

"Of course," The nurse stood aside to let my family in. All of them – Flo, Billy, Scarlett, Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, Alice, Mom, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett.

"Can you take a picture of us?" Alice held a camera out to the nurse, whose eyes had widened at the size and sight of my extended family.

"Sure," she stammered. Jake lifted the kids around on my bed, and everyone leaned in.

"Smile!" the nurse said.

The picture sits above the fireplace now. I framed it and when I sketch my designs, I look at it often, for inspiration. My family smile out at me, in their best clothes, with their arms all around each other – Alice holding onto Scarlett, Edward with his arm around Jake's shoulders, in a matey way, and Jakey had his arms around me and I wasn't looking at the camera – I was gazing down at Finn, and he was gazing back at me.

* * *

It's all over! But not for long! I've got a new story already posted - it's called True Love - have a look via my profile.

Also, the way Bella reacts in New Moon really annoys me, so I'm writing New Moon with a stronger Bella. It might end the same way, but then again, it might not.

As usual, hit that purple button and write a review.

QOTS xxxx


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